PRACTICE TEXTS FOR INTERPRETING

WEEKS 1-9, FALL 2023

(FOR THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS)
WEEKS 1-10, FALL 2023
(FOR FOUTH-YEAR STUDENTS)

Text 1. A Growing BRICS Bloc Shows U.S. Is Losing the Battle for the Global South
(Newsweek)
While Russian President Vladimir Putin's in-person absence due to international legal troubles looms over
the BRICS conference attended by the leaders of fellow member states Brazil, India, China and South
Africa, the growing interest in expanding the group to include additional countries from across the globe is
likely to cement the bloc's future as a force in global geopolitics.

And with no seat at the table for the United States, the three-day summit that began Tuesday in
Johannesburg demonstrates how Washington has struggled to project influence throughout the vast,
developing Global South.

"The U.S. is trailing countries such as Russia, India and China in the Global South," Akhil Ramesh, a senior
fellow at the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum, told Newsweek. "The Global South does not have this special
solidarity it has with nations such as China and India. As victims of Western imperialism/colonialism and
having faced similar challenges in reconstruction and development, they have a unique solidarity."

"The U.S. approach continues to be one where they use nations of the Global South as pawns in their future,
larger cold/hot conflict with China or Russia," Ramesh added. "This understandably has not helped them
win friends."

Such solidarity continues to extend to Putin, who has accelerated his country's outreach to developing
nations, especially in Africa, in recent years.

Moscow's overtures have been met with ongoing interest, as evidenced by the recent Russia-Africa Summit
in Saint Petersburg. The summit was attended by 16 African heads of state and representatives of 25
additional African countries, even as the West has accused Putin of war crimes, resulting in an International
Criminal Court warrant, and of weaponizing food by bombing grain infrastructure and allowing a deal that
safeguarded the continued export of Ukrainian grains via the Black Sea to collapse.

U.S. warnings about forging closer economic ties with China have been met with even stiffer resistance, as
President Xi Jinping presses on with his ambitious Belt and Road Initiative extending across
continents despite a slowing economy at home.

Ramesh argued that nations of the Global South simply "do not view Beijing and Moscow the same way the
West does," and instead see new opportunities where traditional mechanisms have failed.

"So, when there was a group presenting an alternative to the Western-led world order/vision of the world,"
he added, "nations were quick to jump on the bandwagon."

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
Still, obstacles to progress exist within a bloc whose core members already have little alignment in their
broader geopolitical goals, while some, especially China and India, have active disputes between them. Such
feuds have the potential to only grow as the coalition considers taking on new members, such as Iran and
Saudi Arabia.

Others who have applied include Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Egypt,
Ethiopia, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian National Authority,
Senegal, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and Vietnam, according to the most recent count
offered last week by South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.

"Those who are there for the day-to-day negotiations, at least from the Brazilian government side, say it is
already very hard to come to consensus when you have China, India and Russia at the table," Ana Elisa
Saggioro Garcia, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro's Institute of
International Relations and general coordinator of the BRICS Policy Center, told Newsweek.

But "there's another side of the story," she said. That's the growing view, including from Brazilian President
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, that "a strong BRICS" is necessary, and a "strong BRICS is also a big BRICS."

South Africa, the current chair, is the only nation to have been added to what began as an informal BRIC
bloc, born out of a term coined by then-Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in 2001 to describe
emerging economic powers. Russia led the initiative to bring Brazil, China and India together for the first
summit in 2009, and South Africa was admitted the following year.

Initially, BRICS was focused on effecting reform within existing, primarily Western-led economic
institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.

"The first common agenda that they had, despite their differences, was the reform of the international
financial architecture," Garcia said. "So, international financial institutions, those grounded in the Bretton
Woods Conference, in the post-war period, they do not represent the world anymore. Those huge economies
don't have enough voice in those institutions, they need to be reformed. They need to reflect the new
configuration of the world economic power."

Gradually, the group became more focused on creating alternative mechanisms, most notably in the
establishment in 2014 of the Shanghai-based New Development Bank, which today also counts Bangladesh,
Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as members. With this transformation, Garcia explained, "the
geopolitical character of BRICS started to be more important and more relevant than only the economic
one."

China, in particular, she argued, "has been very clever and very strategic to use this opportunity to advance
and to expand another coalition where China is predominant, where China doesn't have to deal with
negotiations with Western powers."

But as evidenced by Brazil's enthusiasm for a more active role for BRICS and the growing list of
prospective members, it's not all about Beijing.

"BRICS has become this pole of attraction of all countries now who've seen that they can have more power
if they ally with a coalition such as BRICS to face measures that the West has been doing for years now,"
Garcia said, "and also to face these sorts of constraints and repression in terms of worldview and values."

Ryan Berg, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Americas Program in
Washington, D.C., also discussed how countries like Brazil were becoming more interested in the
geopolitical nature of BRICS as an exercise in "active nonalignment."
"It can heighten the relevance of a country like Brazil, which is sometimes overlooked and feels overlooked
and neglected," Berg said in response to Newsweek's question during a CSIS call held in the leadup to the
BRICS summit.

"By pursuing this strategy," he explained, "you can basically make it a competition for the affection or for
the attention of major world powers or leading world powers that would otherwise overlook Brazil's position
on a particular issue."

Speaking on the same call, CSIS Africa Program director Mvemba Phezo Dizolele highlighted the
importance of the host nation itself, saying BRICS membership "strengthened the position of South Africa
among non-aligned countries" at a polarizing time in global geopolitics.

"Non-aligned countries have absolutely been at odds at least with Western countries, particularly
ideologically because they do not want to align either with the Russians or with the United States and allies,"
Dizolele said.

A key goal for the summit's participants "will be discussing their disillusionment with U.S. leadership or at
least the U.S.-led coalition around the world and how that world order is affecting adversely the countries of
the Global South," he said, noting that "this will be a time when they will be seeking an alternative to that
power."

The phenomenon of a competition among major powers to court the Global South was also observed by
Mrityunjay Tripathi, a research fellow at the New Delhi-based Public Policy Research Center who
previously served as part of India's delegation to the 2018 BRICS Youth Summit in South Africa.

"U.S. attempts to engage the Global South will only benefit the region, as the U.S. will act as a balancing
power in the region dominated by China," Tripathi told Newsweek. "This competition will only benefit the
developing economies and the multipolarity of the BRICS will ensure that region remains free and open to
all."

Here, he said that "the presence of India adds credibility to BRICS and assures the West that India will act as
a balancing power in the alliance that consists of Russia and China."

While New Delhi and Washington have strengthened ties in recent years, this does not mean total alignment
in their positions. Tripathi argued that the trends apparent in the summit and context surrounding it show
that Washington was on the backfoot in this competition over developing nations.

"The growing interest in BRICS does suggest that the U.S.' attempts to assert influence, particularly across
the Global South, have not always produced desired results," Tripathi said. "The rise of BRICS is indicative
of a shift in power dynamics from the traditionally Western-dominated world order to a more multipolar
global scenario."

A key part of this shift identified by Tripathi was not only expansion, but the vision of "instituting a
common currency," something that "further solidifies the group's commitment to long-term sustainable
progress of the Global South."

"A common currency will not only boost intra-BRICS trade," he added," but also eliminate the high dollar
conversion costs of international transactions."

Shen Shiwei, a journalist and analyst with a background in Chinese business dealings in Africa and the
Middle East, argued that "the only thing that can beat the U.S. dollar is the dollar itself, driven by
weaponization from Washington."
"The global trend of increasing the use of multiple currencies, instead of fully relying on U.S. dollars, is not
a new idea," Shen told Newsweek. "Three decades ago, the euro was created in part because the majority of
the EU wanted to move away from its deep reliance on the U.S. dollar."

"The dollar is still essential to global investments and trade," he added, "but the process of de-dollarization
is accelerating, mainly because its weaponization has caused an erosion of confidence and alerted emerging
economies to take actions to safeguard economic security."

The U.S. dollar continues to command a significant lead against competitors, comprising some 59 percent of
the world's foreign exchange reserves. The euro constitutes around 20 percent, with other currencies such as
the Japanese yen, the United Kingdom's pound sterling and the Chinese renminbi in the single digits.

Still, a number of countries, particularly members of BRICS, have called for conducting bilateral trade in
their own national currencies, and the idea of a common currency has been increasingly put forth. In April,
Lula delivered an impassioned speech at the New Development Bank headquarters in which he railed
against the notion that "all countries are forced to do their trade backed by the dollar."

The message has continued to gain traction among existing and prospective BRICS members.

"But that doesn't mean BRICS is anti-West," Shen said.

He argued that "the zero-sum game narrative developed in the West that the BRICS was created as
competition to the G7 or the Global North is very misleading."

The G7, officially the Group of Seven, is a bloc consisting of the world's largest developed economies,
including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the U.K., with participation from
the European Union as well. The G7 existed as the G8 until 2014, when it was expelled due to its role in the
first major outbreak of conflict in Ukraine.

"All BRICS members have important political and economic cooperation with the G7 countries," Shen said.
"More importantly, BRICS doesn't want to copy the Western hegemony in mentality and reality, which has
brought too many problems to the Global South."

As opposed to the G7, "the BRICS mechanism has met the demands of the Global South, especially
marginalized countries, to advance a collective agenda and push the building of a more inclusive,
representative, just and fair global architecture," Shen argued.

"BRICS is not an exclusive club or small circle," he added, "but a big family of good partners."

Text 2. BRICS expansion is a big win for China. But can it really work as a
counterweight to the West? (CNN)

When leaders of the BRICS nations gathered for group photos at the end of their summit in
Johannesburg last week, it offered a glimpse of the contours of the new world order Beijing is trying
to shape.

Standing at the front and center was Xi Jinping, China’s powerful leader, surrounded by a stage of
leaders from emerging markets and developing countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The summit was the largest the BRICS have ever held, with more than 60 countries attending
alongside member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Flanking the current BRICS leaders were counterparts from Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Egypt and the United Arab Emirates – who had just been invited to join the club.
The development is a big win for Xi, who has long pushed to expand the bloc and its clout
despite reservations from other members such as India and Brazil.

The expansion, the first since South Africa was added in 2010, is set to more than double the group’s
membership and significantly extend its global reach – especially in the Middle East.

“This makes China the clear winner,” said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the
University of London. “Getting six new members is a significant move in its preferred direction of
travel.”

For Beijing, as well as Moscow, the expansion is part of its drive to forge the loose economic
grouping into a geopolitical counterweight to the West – and Western institutions such as the G7.

That mission has become all the more urgent over the past year given China’s escalating rivalry with
the United States, as well as the ramifications of the Ukraine war – which saw Beijing further
estranged from the West over its support for Moscow.

As shown by the BRICS expansion and the long waiting list to join, Xi’s offer of an alternative world
order is finding receptive ears in the Global South, where many countries feel themselves
marginalized in an international system they see as dominated by the US and its wealthy allies.

Echoing their demand for a larger say in global affairs, the BRICS leaders’ declaration repeatedly
called for “greater representation of emerging markets and developing countries” in international
institutions – from the United Nations and its Security Council to the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank.

Xi, who peppered his speeches at the summit with criticism of US “hegemony,” hailed the expansion
as “historic” and “a new starting point for BRICS cooperation.”

Happymon Jacob, a professor of international studies at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University,
said the expansion highlights a shift in global geopolitical fault lines.

“Being a leader of non-Western forums and the Global South, which in general is dissatisfied with the
US-led institutions, will invariably help China become a counterweight to the US and the world order
led by the US,” he said.

The new members

But a wider membership also raises questions about the cohesion and coherence of BRICS, whose
existing members already differ widely in political systems, economic prowess and diplomatic goals.

“I am skeptical in terms of the effectiveness of the organization after the expansion, and whether in
the end the expansion is more symbolic than substantive,” said Yun Sun, director of the China
program at the Stimson Center in Washington.

“The more members there are, the more interests the organization needs to reconcile and
accommodate.”

That is particularly true for a consensus-based organization like BRICS, where decisions are only
made if all members agree.

The new joiners are a somewhat disparate group. Two are very much struggling economies.
Argentina, a serial defaulter that has long struggled with inflation and currency crises, is the biggest
borrower from the IMF. Egypt, which is facing its own economic crisis, is the IMF’s second largest
debtor.
Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa and once one of the continent’s fastest-growing
economies, is reeling from the devastation of a two-year civil war in the country’s Tigray region,
which ended in December, amid evidence of widespread human rights abuses.

The enlarged bloc will also include three of the world’s largest oil exporters: Saudi Arabia, the UAE,
and Iran.

The former two are traditionally close allies of America, but have recently fostered closer ties with
China which has stepped up its presence in the region amid a perceived power vacuum left by the US.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are arch rivals, though earlier this year they restored diplomatic ties in a deal
brokered by China.

That contrasts heavily with a more unified bloc like the G7 which is comprised of like-minded
democracies with large industrialized economies.

Helena Legarda, lead analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, a think tank in Berlin, said it
is unclear to what extent the BRICS expansion will increase the value and influence of the group.

“Without a shared ideology and clear overarching goal, it is likely that the addition of six new
members may instead make BRICS a more divided group.”

Internal divisions
A key dividing issue is the anti-US agenda pushed by China and Russia, which has been strengthened
with the inclusion of Iran.

India and Brazil have expressed concerns about the bloc potentially becoming too anti-Western and
dominated by Beijing, and some of the new members may be similarly skeptical, according to
Legarda.

“Despite the clear geopolitical objectives that China has for the group, many other developing and
emerging economies don’t see BRICS as an exclusively geopolitical body. They are also motivated by
economic opportunities and the chance of securing privileged access to the Chinese and other
markets,” she said.

But China is battling its own economic woes at home – from a spiraling property crisis and mounting
local government debt to record youth unemployment and an ageing population. Many economists
believe the world’s second largest economy is entering an era of much slower growth, which can have
a profound impact on the global economy.

The BRICS expansion is also likely to fuel competition – and potential friction – between China and
India, whose ties have already been strained by a simmering border conflict.

“Sino-Indian competition for the leadership of the Global South is now bound to sharpen with China
having a clear advantage,” said Jacob in New Delhi.

“While India does have good relations with all of the new BRICS members, China’s deep pockets and
its ability to fill the post-American vacuum especially in the Middle East would mean that China will
be able to influence the institution far more than India could,” he added.

The rivalry and tensions between China and India, as well as between Iran and Saudi Arabia, mean
that issues they can agree upon and jointly act upon are unlikely to be significant in number and in
nature, said Sun with the Stimson Center.

“The expansion certainly builds an image of a growing coalition vis-a-vis the West, but having more
countries in one organization does not equate to more effectiveness.”
Text 3. Could this Bank in China Bring an End to the U.S. Dollar's World Dominance?
(Newsweek)

In his first visit to China since taking office at the beginning of this year, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva called on countries across the globe to ditch the U.S. dollar in favor of trading in a common
currency or existing national currencies, something he did in his own trade with Beijing just weeks earlier.

"Every night, I ask myself why all countries are forced to do their trade backed by the dollar?" Lula asked.
"Why can't we do trade backed by our currency?"

Perhaps even more significant than the message Lula delivered was where he delivered it. Lula spoke
Thursday at the New Development Bank (NDB), which serves as the Shanghai-based financial institution of
the informal BRICS coalition. BRICS, comprised of Brazil, China, India, Russia and South Africa, was first
devised some 16 years ago as a vehicle for large emerging economies. But the group has taken on a new life
in recent years, with a growing list of nations seeking to forge partnerships.

And though shared geopolitical aims among the five core BRICS members and those seeking to join the
expanding group are few, a common goal has increasingly emerged to provide new alternatives to Western-
led institutions.

"The NDB is a great example in terms of non-Western multilateral development banks trying to promote an
alternative development financing mechanism that is not dominated by the U.S. dollar or by an American
standard or Western standard," Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations,
told Newsweek.

Fundamentally, it boils down to two things: money and politics.

On the economic end of the equation, being tied to the U.S. dollar, for all of its glory since the establishment
of the Bretton Woods system that linked global currencies to the greenback, costs nations money.
Conversion fees take a toll, especially when trade is being conducted in large volumes, as is the case among
BRICS members.

"For economic reasons," Liu said, "if there are ways to reduce transaction costs, to reduce currency or
exchange rate risk, then countries are willing to do that."

For China, in particular, which is the largest trading partner of more than 120 countries, this trend makes
sense.

Yaroslav Lissovolik, founder of BRICS+ Analytics and a member of the Russian International Affairs
Council, also argued that using national currencies may "be seen by some countries as a way to lower the
transactions costs associated with conversions into U.S. dollars, as well as reducing currency mismatches
that often accompany high levels of dollarization."

He also saw motivation among BRICS members toward attempting to close the gap on the U.S., which
accounts for around 58% of the world's foreign exchange reserves, a substantial lead on the European
Union euro at about 20%, the Japanese yen at less than 6% and the United Kingdom's pound sterling at
about 5%. The Chinese renminbi comprises just under 3%.
"There may also be a desire by some of the largest developing economies such as China and other BRICS
countries to emulate the dollar's success by reaping the benefits of attaining a reserve currency status for
their respective currencies," Lissovolik told Newsweek. "The overall pie of potential de-dollarization
dividends (given the 'exorbitant privilege' of the dollar in the preceding decades) is substantial and some of
the largest developing countries may well aim for getting a chunk of this pie."
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during the presidential visit and inauguration ceremony
at the New Development Bank in Shanghai, China on April 13.

And while this aim may be tantalizing, he felt the major benefit of the NDB came in the form of diversifying
options for nations in receiving development assistance.

"One of the potential advantages of resources provided by the likes of NDB is that it is an alternative source
of financing that offers greater optionality for developing countries," Lissovolik said. "Another potential
advantage is the difference in the scale and stringency of conditionality."

"Also, there may be the rationale of seeking to expand the potential pool of resources that is available for the
borrower," he added. "NDB may be viewed as an additional source of financing that may complement the
resources coming from the Bretton Woods institutions."

While the Bretton Woods system may have brought prosperity to the West, its effects have not been felt
equally across the globe.

"The Global South by some definitions is categorized by socio-economic standards," Akhil Ramesh, a senior
fellow at the Pacific Forum, told Newsweek. "Countries in the Global South, that are largely developing
nations with higher poverty levels, infrastructure deficits, have an insatiable appetite for development
assistance, particularly in the infrastructure space."

"So, with regards to new development banks," he added, "the more the merrier."

Like Lissovolik, he said the "NDB will supplement Western financing" rather than replace it. But he also
pointed to the political side of de-dollarization that has gained major traction as a result of Washington's
strategy of leveraging its economic weight to punish undesirable policies adopted by countries around the
world.

"Countries do not want to be victims of the West's unilateral sanctions," Ramesh said. "21st century warfare
involved economic weapons such as sanctions and that warrants 21st century solutions. India, China, Russia
and Indonesia have all switched or are considering moving away from Mastercard and Visa for the same
reason."

Lissovolik agrees.

"One of the main reasons for the shift towards using national currencies is the use of the U.S. dollar in
imposing sanctions on other countries—in the case of last year it was Russia," Lissovolik said.

"This use of the dollar in imposing economic restrictions has delivered a strong 'demonstration effect' for the
countries of the Global South," he added, "and resulted in efforts on their part to diversify the array of
currencies that could be used in international settlements at the expense of the excessive reliance on the U.S.
dollar."

Liu, for her part, echoed this point that Russia's war in Ukraine and the resulting unprecedented sanctions
campaign against a major world economy demonstrated "the idea that your trade can be cut off, not
necessarily because your bilateral trade treaty partners are not willing to come out with a trade, but because
the transaction using U.S. dollars cannot be implemented."

The geopolitical motivators go beyond the sanctions against Russia, however, and speak to broader trends
that have been emerging for years and have only accelerated in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.
The last BRICS summit, held in Beijing in July of last year, drew some 19 world leaders and saw two new
applications from Argentina and Iran to join the bloc. Interest has also emerged from another influential
player, Saudi Arabia.
After agreeing to reestablish ties with longtime rival Iran last month in a deal brokered by China, Saudi
Arabia also applied to another multilateral organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),
which Iran joined last September. The potential entry of the two major oil states to both BRICS and the SCO
could prove a major step toward shoring up defenses in the event that deteriorating U.S.-China relations
devolve into international sanctions.

"If that's the case, then what we are saying is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS basically
becomes this kind of large trading bloc," Liu said, "as well sustaining the idea that China exports a lot of
goods and services that other countries would actually buy and Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia export energy
to China and India."

"Basically, you have trading partners that are mutually complementary," she added. "In this particular
scenario, I think the use of local currency in bloc trade or bilateral trade makes a lot of sense for these
countries."

Text 4. Новая сила: БРИКС переходит на расчеты и кредиты в собственных

валютах (РИА Новости)
МОСКВА, 26 авг — РИА Новости. Новый банк развития (НБР), созданный БРИКС, расширяет
применение национальных валют. Уже выпустили облигации в южноафриканских рэндах, в октябре
появятся ценные бумаги в рупиях. На очереди — Бразилия, Россия, ОАЭ. Кредитовать друг друга и
финансировать проекты также будут в собственных денежных единицах. Дружественные операции
ослабят зависимость от доллара и евро, а значимость валют БРИКС в международной финансовой
системе возрастет.
Гибкие возможности
Как уточнил финансовый директор НБР Лесли Маасдорп на саммите в Йоханнесбурге, по программе,
рассчитанной на пять лет, облигаций в индийских рупиях выпустят на 2,5 миллиарда долларов.

Первую серию в южноафриканских рэндах уже напечатали, рассматривают возможность эмиссии

ценных бумаг в нацвалютах Бразилии, России, а также Объединенных Арабских Эмиратов (ОАЭ).
НБР стремится существенно увеличить долю финансирования в местных деньгах — до 30%.
Хотя доллар, по словам Маасдорпа, остается "запрограммированным" в ДНК банка, дедолларизация
мировой экономики продолжается. И ускоряется, ведь с 1 января к БРИКС присоединятся ОАЭ,
Саудовская Аравия, Иран, Аргентина, Египет и Эфиопия. По предварительным оценкам, совокупный
ВВП достигнет 37% мирового.
Расчеты необходимо диверсифицировать для большей гибкости БРИКС. Смещение в сторону
национальных валют усилится, уверен Евгений Шатов, партнер Capital Lab.
"Выпуск облигаций уменьшит риски блокировки активов в случае возникновения политических
разногласий с США, как это получилось с Россией. Увеличатся размеры и число платежей в
нацвалютах — станет проще договариваться об условиях сделок", — поясняет аналитик.
Кредиты в своих валютах
Облигации БРИКС повысят значимость нацвалют в международных торговых и финансовых
операциях. Есть и другие важные последствия. В частности, изменится структура пула госрезервов.
"Рупии, реалы и рубли станут более привлекательными для правительств. Это увеличит спрос на них,
что, в свою очередь, поддержит стабильность курса", — указывает Николай Вавилов, специалист
департамента стратегических исследований Total Research.
Следующий шаг — кредитование в нацвалютах в рамках плана по продвижению многополярной
международной финансовой системы, подчеркивает глава НБР Дилма Руссефф. В южноафриканских
рэндах, бразильских реалах, индийских рупиях — на восемь-десять миллиардов долларов
"Это ослабит риски, связанные с валютными и курсовыми колебаниями, укрепит взаимосвязи между
странами и усилит экономическую интеграцию. Использование валюты одной страны для
финансирования проектов партнера — часть стратегии дедолларизации и диверсификации торговых
операций", — говорит Вавилов.
Единая валюта
В перспективе — создание единой денежной единицы БРИКС.
По мнению заместителя генерального директора "Центра стратегических разработок" (ЦСР) Бориса
Копейкина, независимая от западной инфраструктуры система взаиморасчетов очень нужна
международной торговле.
"При этом не столь критично, привяжут ли такую денежную единицу к некоей корзине валют, или
задействуют другие механизмы, например, через сырьевые бенчмарки. Нужно обеспечить ей
стабильную стоимость и широту использования, что позволит избежать дисбалансов в торговле,
которые (особенно на начальном этапе) могут стать проблемой, учитывая большой текущий
профицит и размеры экономики Китая по сравнению с другими странами", — уточняет эксперт.
Банк БРИКС основали в 2015-м в качестве альтернативы Международному валютному фонду и
Всемирному банку. Главная задача — финансирование инфраструктурных программ и проектов
устойчивого развития. Теперь это получит дополнительный импульс.
Text 5. 'Discussions on trade settlements in national currency have been positive within
BRICS framework': Foreign Secy Kwatra (Firstpost)
During a special briefing on the Prime Minister's visit to South Africa, Kwatra said that BRICS nations have
been discussing for quite some time how to put in place a mechanism through which each of BRICS
countries can start trade settlements in national currencies

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said on Thursday that discussions on trade settlements in national currency
have been very positive within the BRICS framework.

During a special briefing by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Prime Minister’s visit to South Africa,
Kwatra said that BRICS nations have been discussing for quite some time how to put in place a mechanism
through which each of BRICS countries can at least start doing trade settlements in the national currencies.

“Conceptually, he added, “Trade settlement in national currency, we have already started working on it, not
just as a discussion or a talking point but also on the ground cooperation.”

“We are also pursuing trade settlements in national currency with several other countries. So, if it becomes a
point of highly advanced discussions in the BRICS and the BRICS countries agree to do trade settlement in
national currency, something which is of a great promise within BRICS,” Kwatra added.

However, he said it is each country’s decision to do trade settlement in the national currencies, and not just
the BRICS’s decision.

“The reason behind that is there is an extensive universe of regulatory frameworks that you need to put in
place before you do trade settlement in national currencies…,” he said.

Kwatra said, “Discussions have been very positive and constructed within the BRICS framework, now each
country progresses on that is something for each country to decide.”
So far as the BRICS common currency is concerned, he said, “You can look at BRICS currency as a
common currency… Common currency as a conceptual framework that requires a large degree of pre-
requisite steps before you even begin to discuss them.”

Currently, the BRICS mechanism and its leaders are focused principally on national currency trade
settlements and not on anything else with regard to this aspect, he added.

India has recently started taking strong steps in trying to put structures in place before trade settlements in
national currencies.

Furthermore, Kwatrea put light on the India-Dirham rupee trade settlement mechanism with the United Arab
Emirates.

“Most recently, a couple of months ago, we signed the India-Dirham rupee trade settlement mechanism with
UAE. Now, India’s trade with UAE is roughly 90 billion dollars, more or less balanced. It opens up a good
opportunity for both India and the UAE to explore that space,” he said.

The two leaders Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and PM Modi on July 15
witnessed the exchange of MoUs between the Reserve Bank of India and UAE Central Bank for the
establishment of a framework to promote the use of local currencies (INR-AED) for cross-border
transactions and another one for the bilateral cooperation on interlinking their payment and messaging
systems.

“India and the UAE have been pioneers, whether it was the Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Agreement (CEPA) or the Rupee-Dirham trade mechanism. When we signed the CEPA it was the first
CEPA ever for the UAE and India’s first ever CEPA for any country in the Middle East”, said the Indian
envoy in an interview with ANI.

The signing of the Local currency settlement (LCS) agreement took place during the recent visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE.

Text 6. A BRICS Currency Could Shake the Dollar’s Dominance (Foreign Policy)
De-dollarization’s moment might finally be here.

An expert's point of view on a current event.

By Joseph W. Sullivan, a senior advisor at the Lindsey Group and a former special advisor and staff
economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Trump administration.
Talk of de-dollarization is in the air. Last month, in New Delhi, Alexander Babakov, deputy chairman of
Russia’s State Duma, said that Russia is now spearheading the development of a new currency. It is to be
used for cross-border trade by the BRICS nations: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Weeks
later, in Beijing, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inàcio Lula da Silva, chimed in. “Every night,” he said, he asks
himself “why all countries have to base their trade on the dollar.”
These developments complicate the narrative that the dollar’s reign is stable because it is the one-
eyed money in a land of blind individual competitors like the euro, yen, and yuan. As one economist put it,
“Europe is a museum, Japan is a nursing home, and China is a jail.” He’s not wrong. But a BRICS-issued
currency would be different. It’d be like a new union of up-and-coming discontents who, on the scale of
GDP, now collectively outweigh not only the reigning hegemon, the United States, but the entire G-7 weight
class put together.
Foreign governments wanting to liberate themselves from reliance on the U.S. dollar are anything but new.
Murmurs in foreign capitals about a desire to dethrone the dollar have been making headlines since the
1960s. But the talk has yet to turn into results. By one measure, the dollar is now used in 84.3 percent of
cross-border trade—compared to just 4.5 percent for the Chinese yuan. And the Kremlin’s habitual use of
lies as an instrument of statecraft offers grounds for skepticism about anything Russia says. On a litany of
practical questions, like how much the other BRICS nations are on board with Babakov’s proposal, for now,
answers remain unclear.
Nevertheless, at least based on the economics, a BRICS-issued currency’s prospects for success are new.
However early plans for it are, and however many practical questions remain unanswered, such a currency
really could dislodge the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of BRICS members. Unlike competitors
proposed in the past, like a digital yuan, this hypothetical currency actually has the potential to usurp, or at
least shake, the dollar’s place on the throne.
Let’s call the hypothetical currency the bric.
If the BRICS used only the bric for international trade, they would remove an impediment that now thwarts
their efforts to escape dollar hegemony. Those efforts now often take the form of bilateral agreements to
denominate trade in non-dollar currencies, like the yuan, now the main currency of trade between China and
Russa. The impediment? Russia is unwilling to source the rest of its imports from China. So after bilateral
transactions between the two countries, Russia tends to want to park the proceeds in dollar-denominated
assets to buy the rest of its imports from the rest of the world, which still uses the dollar for trade,.
If China and Russia each used only the bric for trade, however, Russia would not have any need to park the
proceeds of bilateral trade in dollars. After all, Russia would be using brics, not dollars, to buy the rest of its
imports. Enter, at last, de-dollarization.
Is it realistic to imagine the BRICS using only the bric for trade? Yes.
For starters, they could fund the entirety of their import bills by themselves. In 2022, as a whole, the BRICS
ran a trade surplus, also known as a balance of payments surplus, of $387 billion – mostly thanks to China.
The BRICS would also be poised to achieve a level of self-sufficiency in international trade that has eluded
the world’s other currency unions. Because a BRICS currency union—unlike any before it—would not be
among countries united by shared territorial borders, its members would likely be able to produce a wider
range of goods than any existing monetary union. An artifact of geographic diversity, that is an opening for a
degree of self-sufficiency that has painfully eluded currency unions defined by geographic concentration,
like the Eurozone, also home to a $476 billion trade deficit in 2022.
But the BRICS would not even need to trade only with each other. Because each member of the BRICS
grouping is an economic heavyweight in its own region, countries around the world would likely be willing
to do business in the bric. If Thailand felt compelled to use the bric to do business with China, Brazil’s
importers could still purchase shrimp from Thai exporters, keeping Thailand’s shrimp on Brazil’s menus.
Goods produced in one country can also circumvent trade restrictions between two countries by being
exported to, and then re-exported from, a third country. That’s often a consequence of new trade restrictions,
like tariffs. If the United States boycotted bilateral trade with China rather than trade in the bric, its children
could continue to play with Chinese-made toys that became exports to countries like Vietnam and then
exports to the United States.
Text 7. What is a BRICS currency and is the U.S. dollar in trouble? (Reuters)

JOHANNESBURG, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Brazil's President called on Wednesday for the BRICS nations to
create a common currency for trade and investment between each other, as a means of reducing their
vulnerability to dollar exchange rate fluctuations.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made the proposal at a BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
Officials and economists have pointed out the difficulties involved in such a project, given the economic,
political and geographic disparities between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

WHY DOES LULA WANT A BRICS CURRENCY?

Brazil's president doesn't believe nations that don't use the dollar should be forced to trade in the currency,
and he has also advocated for a common currency in the Mercosur bloc of South American countries.
A BRICS currency "increases our payment options and reduces our vulnerabilities," he told
the summit's opening plenary session.
WHAT DO OTHER BRICS LEADERS THINK?
South African officials had said a BRICS currency was not on the agenda for the summit.
In July, India's foreign minister said, "there is no idea of a BRICS currency". Its foreign secretary said
before departing for the summit that boosting trade in national currencies would be discussed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the gathering, which he attended via videolink, would
discuss switching trade between member countries away from the dollar to national currencies.
China has not commented on the idea. President Xi Jinping spoke at the summit of promoting "the reform of
the international financial and monetary system".

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF SETTING UP A BRICS CURRENCY?

Building a BRICS currency would be a "political project", South African central bank governor Lesetja
Kganyago told a radio station in July.
"If you want it, you'll have to get a banking union, you'll have to get a fiscal union, you've got to get
macroeconomic convergence," Kganyago said.
"Importantly, you need a disciplining mechanism for the countries that fall out of line with it... Plus they will
need a common central bank... where does it get located?"
Trade imbalances are also a problem, Herbert Poenisch, a senior fellow at Zhejiang University, wrote in
a blog for think-tank OMFIF.
"All BRICS member countries have China as their main trading partner and little trade with each other."

IS THE U.S. DOLLAR IN TROUBLE?

BRICS leaders have said they want to use their national currencies more instead of the dollar, which
strengthened sharply last year as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and Russia invaded Ukraine,
making dollar debt and many imports more expensive.
Russia's sanctions-imposed exile from global financial systems last year also fuelled speculation that non-
western allies would shift away from the dollar.
"The objective, irreversible process of de-dollarisation of our economic ties is gaining momentum," Putin
told the summit on Tuesday.
The greenback's share of official FX reserves fell to a 20-year low of 58% in the final quarter of 2022, and
47% when adjusted for exchange rate changes, according to International Monetary Fund data.
However, the dollar still dominates global trade. It is on one side of almost 90% of global forex transactions,
according to Bank of International Settlements Data.
De-dollarising would need countless exporters and importers, as well as borrowers, lenders and currency
traders across the world, to independently decide to use other currencies.

Text 8. Экономист перечислил плюсы для БРИКС принятия новых стран-

участниц (Известия)

Экономист Василий Колташов 24 августа рассказал «Известиям» о плюсах для БРИКС принятия в
свой состав шести новых стран.

Ранее в этот день члены БРИКС приняли решение пригласить в объединение Аргентину, Египет,
Эфиопию, Иран, Саудовскую Аравию и Объединенные Арабские Эмираты.
По мнению Колташова, Иран является значимым приобретением для БРИКС. Он отметил, что Иран
— это крупная экономика и самостоятельная администрация. Страна обладает необходимыми как
для нее, так и для других государств-участниц, ресурсами.Реклама
«Обрабатывающий сектор Ирана достаточно развит и будет прогрессировать. Страна не является
культурно отсталой, торговый оборот стран-партнеров с ней может расти», — сказал экономист.

Саудовская Аравия также является ценной страной для БРИКС, заявил собеседник «Известий».
Несмотря на то что страна сильно колебалась в определенные периоды истории, она добавит
серьезный вес объединению, считает Колташов.

ОАЭ — это территориально небольшая страна, но имеющая значительную экономику. Однако это
государство с ограниченными возможностями развития, указал специалист.

«Ее присоединение не так уж много добавляет. Эмираты, скорее, выступают как финансовый офшор,
как страна с посреднической функцией», — сказал он.

Включение Египта в БРИКС — хорошая новость. Но более хорошей новостью было бы

присоединение Алжира, подчеркнул Колташов. Как он объяснил, Египет имеет склонность
маневрировать и искать компромиссы с Западом. В то время как Алжир имеет более твердую
позицию и обладает при этом ценными ресурсами.

«С одной стороны, Египет — хорошее приобретение, но с другой — американцы могут влиять на

Египет, чтобы он как-то вел себя в рамках БРИКС. Но это не радикально. А радикальность в чем?
Валюта БРИКС — какая она может быть, когда она будет. Многочисленные вопросы, которые идут
вразрез с американскими интересами», — сказал он.

Что касается Эфиопии, то это страна не совсем социально-политически устойчива, отметил

экономист. У нее есть множество серьезных внутренних проблем. Однако это государство способно
сопротивляться западному влиянию.

«Эфиопия — страна с серьезным экономическим потенциалом, но с не очень четкой перспективой

экономического развития. В силу внутрисоциальных проблем. Однако Эфиопия имеет
специфическую историю для Африки. Она единственная не была колонией, причем попытки
предпринимались дважды. Ее единственную не смогли завоевать. У Эфиопии есть уникальный опыт
сопротивления западной колонизации. При всех внутренних проблемах это может быть сильной
стороной. Внутренний стержень эфиопского государства будет иметь значение», — сказал он.

Аргентина — страна со сложной экономической историей. Она неоднократно вырывалась в группу

лидеров среди молодых экономик XX века. И сейчас Аргентина находится на пути поиска
собственной устойчивой стратегии развития, заключил Колташов.

Саммит объединения проходит в Йоханнесбурге с 22 по 24 августа. В ЮАР представляет

Россию министр иностранных дел РФ Сергей Лавров. Президент России Владимир Путин принимает
участие в саммите в режиме видеоконференции.
БРИКС — межгосударственное объединение, которое было основано в июне 2006 года в рамках
Петербургского экономического форума с участием министров экономики Бразилии, России, Индии
и Китая. Позже к нему присоединилась Южно-Африканская Республика.

Text 9. КНДР назвала ядерной катастрофой сброс Японией воды с «Фукусимы» в

океан (Известия)

Сброс Японией воды с атомной электростанции (АЭС) «Фукусима-1» в Тихий океан — это ядерная
катастрофа и преступление против человечества. Об этом 24 августа заявили в МИД КНДР.

«Никто не может отрицать, что сброс в океан загрязненной воды, содержащей большое количество
радиоактивных материалов, является антигуманитарным актом, разрушающим глобальную
экологическую среду и угрожающим выживанию человечества», — приводится сообщение
министерства на сайте Центрального телеграфного агентства Северной Кореи (ЦТАК).
В ведомстве указали, что, по мнению некоторых экспертов, если вода будет выброшена у берегов
Фукусимы, где сильное морское течение, она зальет половину Тихого океана примерно за 50 дней и
через несколько лет распространится по водам всего мира, нанеся огромные вред.

Кроме того, в этот день в МИД Китая также выступили против сброса воды с АЭС «Фукусима-1» в
океан. Ведомство назвало действия Японии эгоистичным и безответственным актом, игнорирующим
международные общественные интересы. По мнению Пекина, Токио не доказал легитимность
действий и не предоставил подлинные данные об уровне загрязнения воды и свидетельства, что это
не повлияет на морскую среду и ее обитателей.
До этого, 22 августа, премьер-министра Японии Фумио Кисида заявил, что начало сброса в океан
воды с АЭС «Фукусима-1» планируется на 24 августа. Он отметил, что японские власти еще раз
проверили готовность всех министерств и ведомств на случай непредвиденных ситуаций.
Еще 9 августа Китай и Россия направили Японии список технических проблем в связи со сбросом
воды из АЭС «Фукусима-1» в море.
В июле сообщалось, что МАГАТЭ сочло крайне незначительным влияние этого мероприятия на
людей и экосистему. Сброс предполагается производить через специально построенный туннель в
течение 30 лет под наблюдением организации.
Однако, в свою очередь, Роспотребнадзор РФ заявил, что, вероятно, санитарный контроль при ввозе
в Россию ряда товаров из Японии будет усилен на фоне начала сброса в океан воды с АЭС. Тогда же
стало известно, что власти КНР запретили ввоз продуктов из десяти японских префектур в связи с
тем же.
В марте 2011 года произошла авария на атомной электростанции «Фукусима-1», спровоцированная
сильнейшим в истории Японии землетрясением и последовавшим за ним цунами. Из-за затопления
системы энергоснабжения и аварийного охлаждения были выведены из строя. Это вызвало
расплавление ядерного топлива в реакторах трех энергоблоков и взрыв смеси на первом, третьем и
четвертом энергоблоках.

Было принято решение о ликвидации АЭС, при этом в резервуарах продолжает копиться вода,
используемая для охлаждения поврежденных реакторов. Власти Японии утверждают, что вода в
целом очищена от радиоактивных веществ и содержит лишь изотоп водорода (тритий). Баки
заполнены почти на 90%, вопрос о способах утилизации рассматривается с 2013 года.

Text 10. Japan says seawater radioactivity below limits near Fukushima (Reuters)
TOKYO, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Tests of seawater near Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant have not
detected any radioactivity, the environment ministry said on Sunday, days after authorities began
discharging into the sea treated water used to cool damaged reactors.
Japan started releasing water from the wrecked Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday,
sparking protests in Japan and neighbouring countries, in particular China, which banned aquatic product
imports from Japan.
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Japan and scientific organisations say the water is safe after being filtered to remove most radioactive
elements except for tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
Because tritium is difficult to separate from water, the Fukushima water is diluted until tritium levels fall
below regulatory limits.
The ministry's tests of samples from 11 points near the plant showed concentrations of tritium below the
lower limit of detection - 7 to 8 becquerels of tritium per litre, the ministry said, adding that it "would have
no adverse impact on human health and the environment".
Monitoring would be carried out "with a high level of objectivity, transparency, and reliability" to prevent
adverse impacts on Japan's reputation, Environment Minister Akihiro Nishimura said in a statement.
The ministry would publish test results every week for the next three months at least, an official said.
Japan's fisheries agency said tests of fish from near the plant did not show any abnormalities. Its test
on Saturday found no detectable levels of tritium.
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Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) (9501.T) said on Friday seawater near the plant contained
less than 10 becquerels of tritium per litre, below its self-imposed limit of 700 becquerels and far below the
World Health Organization's limit of 10,000 becquerels for drinking water.
Tepco said on Sunday it had not detected any significant change. Fukushima prefecture also published tests
from nine locations near the plant that showed tritium below limits.
Tepco is storing about 1.3 million tonnes of the contaminated water, enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized
swimming pools, in tanks on the site.
The release of the first 7,800 cubic metres, equivalent to about three Olympic pools, will take about 17 days.
It is estimated it will take about 30 years to release it all.
Japanese offices have received a barrage of telephone calls, apparently from China, complaining about the
water release, the foreign ministry said, adding that it had asked the Chinese embassy in Japan to call on the
public in China to remain calm.

Text 11. Digital Ruble: Growing influence amidst sanctions? (Orfonline)

As the Digital Ruble becomes more accessible, it promises to revolutionise financial transactions and
reshape Russia's financial landscape

Getty
The recent signing of the Digital Ruble Bill into law by President Vladimir Putin has reinforced Russia’s
commitment to the widespread implementation of its central bank digital currency (CBDC). The bill
proposing the legalisation of Russia’s CBDC received approval from both houses of the country’s
Parliament, the State Duma and the Federation Council, as Russia accelerated its CBDC research
following financial sanctions imposed by several nations on its funds and assets in the wake of the conflict
with Ukraine.
Embracing digital currencies and exploring interoperability can enhance international trade and create an
alternative sphere of influence beyond the dollar-dominated system. However, the success of these
initiatives requires careful consideration of various factors, including the power of China’s Digital Yuan
and the potential resurgence of the US Dollar. Realistic approaches and vigilant monitoring will be
essential to navigate these complexities.

The bill proposing the legalisation of Russia’s CBDC received approval from both houses of the country’s
Parliament, the State Duma and the Federation Council, as Russia accelerated its CBDC research
following financial sanctions imposed by several nations on its funds and assets in the wake of the conflict
with Ukraine.

Digitising the Ruble

Russia’s CBDC approach differs from its counterparts. While countries like India are focused
on asserting monetary sovereignty and staying competitive in the world of digital currencies, Russia’s
motivations are driven by factors crucial for their nation’s survival and growth.
During a business conference in New Delhi, Alexander Babakov, Deputy Chairman of the State
Duma, proposed a unified digital currency for Russia, China, and India. The primary objective is to
promote trade in compliance with each country’s regulations while reducing reliance on the United States
(US) Dollar or Euro, mitigating Russia’s vulnerability to international sanctions. Promoting trade is
Russia’s primary objective while circumventing the sanctions for now and reducing its dependence on two
of the world’s primary global reserve currencies in the long run.
Beyond this, such a common digital currency could foster stronger economic ties between the three
nations and pave the way for an alternative financial system beyond the traditional dominant currencies.
Russia, India, and China are members of the BRICS minilateral, which has considered a multinational
digital currency but with limited progress.

Realistic approaches and vigilant monitoring will be essential to navigate these complexities.
Although not entirely new, this concept holds critical significance for Russia, especially in the face of
escalating sanctions following the Ukrainian invasion. Previously, Russia explored using digital
currencies for international transactions, but European limitations hindered that approach. Additionally,
there have been intriguing speculations about potential digital currency collaborations between Russia and
Iran.
Blow to the economy
In response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the European Union, US, Canada, and the United Kingdoms
imposed sanctions on Russia, including banning certain Russian banks from SWIFT. The aim is to isolate
Russia economically and pressure the Putin regime to end military operations in Ukraine.

These sanctions strain global supply chains as Russia is a major exporter of crude oil, wheat, and cobalt
leading to price spikes globally. Russia is exploring trade partnerships in Asia and Africa, and considering
the Digital Ruble for enhanced trade efficiency.

Promoting trade is Russia’s primary objective while circumventing the sanctions for now and reducing its
dependence on two of the world’s primary global reserve currencies in the long run.
US sanctions have a significant impact as the global trade in US Dollars allows freezing transactions,
causing the Ruble to plummet and raising concerns about Russia’s debt obligations. The exclusion from
SWIFT and other sanctions could lead to a major restructuring of Russia’s economy.

Digital response
Nations around the world are experimenting with CBDCs, and Russia is no exception. The Bank of Russia
first showed interest in a CBDC in 2017, with no significant plans for development. However, in 2022, the
Bank announced plans to launch the Digital Ruble by 2024, aiming to coexist the digital currency with
existing payment systems. The plan to develop a CBDC was already in motion before the Ukraine crisis,
but the implementation gained momentum due to Western sanctions and restrictions. The urgency to
develop the CBDC grew due to the need for a reliable tool for foreign trade after the Ukraine invasion and
ensuing sanctions. Nabiullina, governor of the Bank of Russia, suggested exploring the Digital Ruble
for pension payments, and discussions for a CBDC pilot resumed in March 2023. Thus, while Russia
initially intended to use its CBDC for domestic payments and transfers, the post-Ukraine invasion
sanctions pushed it to keenly explore cross-border applications, reducing its reliance on the Western
clearinghouses-controlled SWIFT system.
The exclusion from SWIFT and other sanctions could lead to a major restructuring of Russia’s economy.
The Russian government aims to encourage Digital Ruble adoption, while the Bank of Russia sees it as a
replacement for cryptocurrencies, promoting safer domestic settlements and investments. The central
bank’s stance on private cryptocurrencies is unclear, as it mentioned the creation of special entities
responsible for mining without specifying the type of cryptocurrency. Nabiullina also emphasised that
cryptocurrencies should not be used for domestic purposes.
Forging a new direction
With the broader implementation of the Digital Ruble, Russian citizens will have the convenience of
processing payments and instant money transfers through their digital wallets. Interestingly, the use of the
CBDC will remain optional, and the government expects its popularity to grow by 2027.
During the pilot trials of the CBDC last year, several Russian banks participated, and valuable feedback
on its use cases was gathered from various financial market participants. As the Digital Ruble becomes
more accessible, it promises to revolutionise financial transactions and reshape Russia’s financial
landscape.
The intent of BRICS members to develop CBDCs reflects their convergence for exploring the likely
advantages and implications of digital currencies on international trade and financial landscapes.
As Russia, India, China, Brazil, and South Africa develop their respective CBDCs, their BRICS-level
interoperability becomes probable. Embracing digital currencies could boost international trade and foster
an alternative sphere of influence outside the Western-dominated financial system centred around the US
Dollar. The intent of BRICS members to develop CBDCs reflects their convergence for exploring the
likely advantages and implications of digital currencies on international trade and financial landscapes.

The BRICS countries’ rising economic influence, surpassing the G7 nations in global GDP, makes the
concept of a common currency intriguing. Despite the uncertain role of a digital currency in this scenario,
the potential for strong trade ties among BRICS members and their reliance on Russia for commodities
make this development worth monitoring. This growing trend points towards a future where nations
challenge the dollar-dominated status quo and significantly change the global financial landscape.
However, there are several moving parts in this situation. China’s Digital Yuan’s growing influence or a
resurgence of the US Dollar could spoil the party.

Text 12. Russia tests digital ruble in bid to bypass sanctions (AFP)
Russia began testing its new digital ruble with consumers on Tuesday, in the hope blockchain
technology will help it evade sanctions and tighten control over its citizens.

'Less easy to sanction'

While Moscow has been mulling the idea of creating a digital currency for years, development of the digital
ruble took off after Western sanctions blocked Russia from parts of the global banking system.
Russia joins 20 other countries worldwide that have entered the pilot stage of launching a digital currency,
according to a tally from the Atlantic Council think tank.
Moscow's aim is clear: to make its financial system more flexible and limit the impact of international
restrictions.
"It will enhance Russia's ability to evade sanctions," said Mikkel Morch, founder of crypto-focused
investment fund ARK36.
He said the move will allow Russia to avoid banks where it faces restrictions, and that the blockchain is
"much less easy to sanction and attack".
Most Russian banks have been banned from the main system used for international transactions, pushing
Moscow to look for other ways to de-dollarise.
The creation of the digital currency, Morch said, is "part of a geopolitical war between pro-dollar countries
and anti-dollar countries", in which the latter are trying to rid themselves of the US currency for trading.

'Total control'

In October 2020, the Russian central bank said it wanted a digital ruble "to make payments secure,
protected, fast, convenient, and accessible for any individual anywhere across Russia".
Morch said, however, that digitising the ruble would give authorities "immense control" over Russians.
It could be used as "the ultimate social control tool", he warned, giving the government the power to issue
fines or freeze assets with "the click of a button".
In Russia, it is the FSB security service that oversees the safety of the digital ruble's financial architecture.
Some NGOs have already warned against possible abuse.
"In the wrong hands, this data could be used to spy on citizens' private transactions," researchers from the
Atlantic Council have warned.

Russians not convinced

Ordinary Russians are not yet sold on the idea of actually using the digital ruble, with many cautious about
its effectiveness and safety.
According to a survey by state-owned pollster VCIOM, around six out of 10 Russians have a "weak
understanding" of the government's aims and are not ready to use the currency.
Economist Sofia Donets said ordinary Russians and companies are unlikely to feel much change in their
daily lives during the testing phase.
Despite fears the scheme could be abused, Donets said Moscow was trying "not to lag behind in the global
(financial) context".
To convince wary Russians, authorities have promised its use will be voluntary.
They also argue it will make the lives of Russians easier and more convenient.
One senior lawmaker, Anatoly Aksakov, said it would allow parents to have greater control over how their
children spend their pocket money.
"For instance, you give money to a child who goes to school, saying it can only be spent on breakfast,
buying books or textbooks," Aksakov told a government paper.
"No matter how great the desire of the user to spend it on other purposes, it will be impossible to do."

Text 13. Что такое цифровой рубль простыми словами? Зачем ЦБ ввел цифровой
рубль в России (Лента)
В России с 1 августа легализовали цифровой рубль, которым можно будет расплачиваться за
покупки и услуги. «Лента.ру» рассказывает, какие операции с цифровым рублем будут доступны, а
какие нет, чем он отличается от криптовалюты и можно ли его украсть.

Что такое цифровой рубль простыми словами?

Цифровой рубль — это валюта, которая существует только в безналичном цифровом формате,
рассказала «Ленте.ру» ведущий аналитик Freedom Finance Global Наталья Мильчакова. Изначально
Центробанк заявлял цифровой рубль как третью форму национальной валюты, которая будет
использоваться наравне с наличными и безналичными деньгами.
Однако когда президент Владимир Путин подписал закон, регулирующий оборот цифрового рубля, в
Гражданском кодексе РФ появилась следующая формулировка: «безналичные денежные средства, в
том числе цифровые рубли». Некоторые эксперты трактуют это как признание цифрового рубля
подвидом безналичной валюты. Письмо с просьбой разъяснить эту
формулировку направила регулятору Ассоциация российских банков (АРБ).

Цифровой рубль выпускается в виде уникального электронного кода. Один цифровой рубль
равен одному бумажному рублю

Выпускать цифровые рубли будет Центробанк России. «Операции с цифровым рублем будут
совершаться через специальную цифровую платформу Банка России с использованием технологии
распределенных реестров — блокчейна. Все операции с любым активом, осуществляемые с
помощью блокчейна, будут записываться, их история будет сохраняться, а движение актива и даже
его прошлых и нынешних собственников можно будет легко отследить», — подчеркнула Наталья
Мильчакова.

Глава ЦБ Эльвира Набиуллина пообещала, что россиян не будут принуждать к использованию

цифровых рублей.

Чем цифровой рубль отличается от привычной безналичной валюты?

Важным отличием цифрового рубля от привычной безналичной формы российской валюты является
его сохранность, гарантированная Банком России. рассказал «Ленте.ру» начальник управления по
контролю за внедрением и технологическим развитием ПАО «РосДорБанк» Михаил Петров. Это
значит, что цифровые рубли находятся на платформе ЦБ и не являются активом какого-либо банка.
Следовательно, их не заморозят, если кредитной организации ограничат деятельность.
«Но если на безналичные счета в банке может начисляться процент, то цифровой рубль является
исключительно средством платежа, и никакой процентный доход на него не начисляется», —
рассказал в беседе с «Лентой.ру» основатель портала о Цифровых финансовых активах DFA.su
Максим Коломыйцев.

Еще одно важное отличие цифрового рубля от привычной безналичной валюты — им можно
рассчитываться даже без доступа к интернету с помощью офлайн-счета. Также россиянам будет
доступна оплата покупок и услуг по QR-коду через смартфон — но только если есть интернет. При
этом чтобы платить цифровыми рублями, не нужна банковская карта.

Чем цифровой рубль отличается от криптовалюты?

Несмотря на то что операции будут осуществляться через блокчейн, цифровой рубль и

криптовалюты — совершенно разные вещи, подчеркнул Максим Коломыйцев.

У криптовалюты нет единого эмитента и, как следствие, нет гарантий по защите прав
использующего. Стоимость криптовалюты носит спекулятивный характер. Цифровой рубль же
выпускается Центральным банком России, является национальным денежным средством и имеет
стабильный курс 1 к 1 с национальной валютой
Поскольку эмитентом цифрового рубля выступает Банк России, он обеспечен золотовалютными
резервами страны.

Зачем нужен цифровой рубль?

Цифровым рублем можно будет оплачивать товары и услуги, вкладывать его в активы и
задействовать в операциях на фондовом рынке.

В Банке России заявили, что цифровой рубль сможет «сделать платежи еще быстрее, проще и
безопаснее». Все экономические агенты будут иметь к цифровому рублю равный доступ — вместе с
развитием цифровых платежей это станет причиной снижения стоимости платежных услуг и
денежных переводов. Кроме того, это приведет к росту конкуренции среди финансовых организаций
страны, считают в регуляторе.
Это послужит стимулом для инноваций как в сфере розничных платежей, так и в других сферах и
поддержит развитие цифровой экономики. А уменьшение зависимости пользователей от отдельных
провайдеров повысит устойчивость финансовой системы страны
ЦБ России
Когда цифровой рубль введут повсеместно?

Президент России Владимир Путин подписал закон о внедрении в России нового вида национальной
цифровой валюты 24 июля 2023 года. Основные положения закона о цифровом рубле вступили в
силу с 1 августа.

Text 14. Russia's first lunar mission in 47 years smashes into the moon in failure
(Reuters)
MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 space craft
spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit, underscoring
the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme.
Russia's state space corporation, Roskosmos, said it had lost contact with the craft at 11:57 GMT on
Saturday after a problem as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit. A soft landing had been planned for
Monday.
"The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the
surface of the Moon," Roskosmos said in a statement.
It said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of
the Luna-25 craft, whose mission had raised hopes in Moscow that Russia was returning to the big power
moon race.
The failure underscored the decline of Russia's space power since the glory days of Cold War competition
when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth - Sputnik 1, in 1957 - and Soviet
cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961.
It also comes as Russia's $2 trillion economy faces its biggest external challenge for decades: the pressure of
both Western sanctions and fighting the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two.
Though moon missions are fiendishly difficult, and many U.S. and Soviet attempts have failed, Russia had
not attempted a moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976, when Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev ruled the
Kremlin.
Russian state television put news of the loss of Luna-25 at number 8 in its line up at noon and gave it just 26
seconds of coverage, after a news about fires on Tenerife and a 4 minute item about a professional holiday
for Russian pilots and crews.

FAILED MOONSHOT
Russia has been racing against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon's
south pole this week, and more broadly against China and the United States which both have advanced lunar
ambitions.
As news of the Luna-25 failure broke, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) posted on X,
formerly Twitter, that Chandrayaan-3 was set to land on Aug. 23.
Russian officials had hoped that the Luna-25 mission would show Russia can compete with the superpowers
in space despite its post-Soviet decline and the vast cost of the Ukraine war.
"The flight control system was a vulnerable area, which had to go through many fixes," said Anatoly Zak,
the creator and publisher of www.RussianSpaceWeb.com which tracks Russian space programmes.
Zak said Russia had also gone for the much more ambitious moon landing before undertaking a simpler
orbital mission - the usual practice for the Soviet Union, the United States, China and India.
While Luna-25 went beyond the earth's orbit - unlike the failed 2011 Fobos-Grunt mission to one of the
moons of Mars - the crash could impact Russia's moon programme, which envisages several more missions
over coming years including a possible joint effort with China.
Russian scientists have repeatedly complained that the space programme has been weakened by poor
managers who are keen for unrealistic vanity space projects, corruption and a decline in the rigour of
Russia's post-Soviet scientific education system.
"It is so sad that it was not possible to land the apparatus," said Mikhail Marov, a leading Soviet physicist
and astronomer.
Marov, 90, was hospitalised in Moscow after news of the failure of Luna-25 was announced, although
details of what he was ill with were not available.
Marov told the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that he hoped the reasons behind the crash would be
discussed and examined rigorously.
"This was perhaps the last hope for me to see a revival of our lunar program," he said.

Text 15. Russia’s Luna-25 Lander Has Crashed into the Moon (Scientific American)
Luna-25, Russia's first moon mission in nearly a half-century, was the vanguard of a planned series of lunar
probes
Russia's first moon lander in 47 years has crashed into the lunar surface, the country's space agency reported
on Sunday (Aug. 20).

The Luna-25 lander, which Russia had hoped would land at the south pole of the moon as early as Monday
(Aug. 21), crashed into the moon after an orbital maneuver went wrong yesterday (Aug. 19), officials with
Russia's Roscosmos space agency said.

"At about 14:57 Moscow time [on Aug. 19], communication with the Luna-25 spacecraft was interrupted,"
Roscosmos wrote in an update on Telegram today (in Russian; translation by Google). "The measures taken
on August 19 and 20 to search for the device and get into contact with it did not produce any results."

A preliminary analysis suggests that the wayward orbital maneuver sent Luna-25 into an unexpected
trajectory, one in which the moon lander "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,"
Roscosmos wrote.

Luna-25 was hoped to be a major space milestone for Russia. The last moon probe from the country was
Luna-24 in 1976, when Russia was still part of the Soviet Union. That probe landed in the moon's Sea of
Crises (Mare Crisium) and ferried a sample back to Earth, a few years after the last human moon landing
by NASA in 1972. Luna-25 was targeted to touch down near the south pole of the moon, where the probe
was to spend one Earth year searching for water ice and performing a number of scientific investigations.

Luna-25 launched on Aug. 10 and sent its first in-space photos back to Earth on Aug. 13, including selfies
with the moon and Earth in the background. The mission swiftly reached lunar orbit, a milestone
that Roscosmos announced on Aug. 16.

The spacecraft's primary landing zone was a region called Boguslawsky Crater, but there were two backup
landing spots also available: Southwest of Manzini Crater, and south of Pentland A Crater.

Aside from hunting water ice, Luna 25's main science goals included examining the regolith and rocks
around it, looking at the wispy lunar atmosphere and testing out technology for future landings on the moon.

Russian aerospace company NPO Lavochkin designed and built the lander, which had two major parts: a
landing platform with a propulsion system; and landing gear, including a velocity and range meter for use
during landing. Also on the lander was a non-pressurized instrument container for items such as solar panels,
radiators, antennas, television cameras, a power source and scientific equipment.

The loss of Luna-25 could be a major blow to Russia's plans to fly a series of moon missions and its effort to
develop a permanent crewed based on the moon with China.

Roscosmos plans to follow Luna-25 with a lunar orbiter, called Luna-26, and then two more landing
missions: Luna-27, which will send a drilling rig to the lunar surface; and Luna-28, a sample-collection
mission that aims to return material from the moon's polar regions to Earth.

Those subsequent moon missions will likely be delayed due to Luna-25's failure, as Roscosmos investigates
to find the root cause of the probe's crash into the moon. The mission had already been delayed by technical
issues and challenges due to sanctions over Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine that led the European Space
Agency — which was to provide a precision camera to help Luna-25 land — to pull out of cooperative
space projects with the country.
Roscosmos officials said Sunday that they have already formed a team to investigate the crash of Luna-25.

"A specially formed interdepartmental commission will deal with the issues of clarifying the reasons for the
loss of the moon [lander]," Roscosmos wrote in the Telegram update.

Russia is not alone in reaching for the moon's south pole. India's Chandrayaan 3 lander is also on track to
touch down in that area very soon, as early as Aug. 23 or Aug. 24. NASA also has the south pole in sight, as
a key part of its Artemis program to put people and landers on the moon in the coming decade.

NASA plans to land the crewed Artemis 3 mission near the south pole in late 2025 or 2026, provided
that Artemis 2 loops around the moon as planned with its crew in late 2024 and that the spacesuits and
lander (SpaceX's new Starship vehicle) are ready. NASA also has help fund a series of commercial robotic
landers, some of which may touch down on the moon as soon as this year.

Text 16. «Луна-25» прекратила существование в результате столкновения с

поверхностью Луны (Известия)
Межпланетная автоматическая станция «Луна-25» прекратила свое существование в результате
столкновения с поверхностью Луны. Об этом сообщила госкорпорация «Роскосмос» в воскресенье,
20 августа.

«19 августа в соответствии с программой полета космического аппарата «Луна-25» была

предусмотрена выдача импульса для формирования его предпосадочной эллиптической орбиты.
Около 14:57 московского декретного времени связь с КА «Луна-25» прервалась», — говорится в
сообщении.

Мероприятия по поиску аппарата и вхождению с ним в связь не принесли результатов.

Реклама
По предварительному анализу, в связи с отклонением фактических параметров импульса от
расчетных «Луна-25» перешла на нерасчетную орбиту и прекратила свое существование в результате
столкновения с поверхностью Луны.

Также сообщается, что уточнением подробностей произошедшего займется межведомственная

комиссия, которая будет сформирована специально по этому вопросу.

Первая в истории современной России миссия на естественный спутник Земли стартовала с

космодрома Восточный 11 августа с запуском ракеты-носителя «Союз-2.1б» с автоматической
межпланетной станцией «Луна-25». Позже она была выведена на траекторию полета к спутнику
Земли.
17 августа станция «Луна-25» сделала первые снимки лунной поверхности. Аппарат провел съемку
телевизионными камерами комплекса СТС-Л. На снимке запечатлен южный полярный кратер
Зееман на обратной стороне Луны.

Однако 19 августа «Роскосмос» сообщил о том, что при переходе на посадочную орбиту
возникла нештатная ситуация, которая не позволила выполнить маневр с заданными параметрами.
Другие подробности не уточнялись.
Text 17. Russia launches Luna-25 moon lander, its 1st lunar probe in 47 years
(Space.com)
Luna-25 will kick off a new and ambitious Russian moon program, if all goes according to plan.
Russia reignited its moon exploration program today (Aug. 10), sending a lander toward Earth's nearest
neighbor.

The Luna-25 mission lifted off today at 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT) atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the
Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur Region. The launch picked up where the former
Soviet Union left off in 1976, when Luna-24 successfully delivered about 6.2 ounces (170 grams)
of moon samples to Earth.
But that was then. Luna-25 is the first domestically produced moon probe in modern Russian history.

If all goes according to plan, Luna-25 will spend the next five days journeying to the moon, then circle the
natural satellite for another five to seven days. The spacecraft will then set down in the moon's south polar
region, near Boguslawsky Crater.

A long road to the launch pad

Getting Luna-25 on its way to the moon remained a priority, one highlighted by Russian President Vladimir
Putin. In an April 2022 visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, he said the sanctions placed on Russia by the
U.S., the European Union and others would not deter the nation from carrying out space exploration.

"Despite all the difficulties and attempts to interfere from the outside, we're definitely going to implement all
our plans with consistency and persistence," Putin said.

Tricky terrain
Luna-25's main objectives are to test technology for future soft landings on the moon, analyze lunar dirt and
rocks and conduct other scientific research. If its landing is successful, the craft will study the upper layer of
the lunar regolith, appraise the ultra-thin lunar atmosphere and search for signs of water ice in the south pole
region.
In terms of landing, the 1.6-ton Luna-25 is fundamentally different from its predecessors. Past Soviet lunar
landers touched down in the moon's equatorial zone. This new lander will set down within the circumpolar
region of the moon, in a site that involves tricky terrain.

Designed, built and tested by Russian aerospace company NPO Lavochkin, Luna-25 consists of two main
parts. One is a landing platform outfitted with a propulsion system and landing gear, including a Doppler
velocity and range meter. The other is an unpressurized instrument container loaded with scientific
equipment, radiators, electronics, solar panels, a radioisotope heat and power source, antennas and television
cameras.

Future Russian moon missions

Luna-25's lunar manipulator complex (LMK) is capable of excavating lunar regolith and delivering it
directly to a laser mass spectrometer (LAZMA-LR). In addition, an infrared spectrometer installed on this
hardware can inspect the material, assessing the prospect of finding water ice.

Maxim Litvak, a chief scientist for the mission from Russia's Space Research Institute (known by the
acronym IKI), emphasized that the Russian lunar program is already planning out future missions based on
the development of Luna-25's design. Luna-26, which will orbit the moon, will be followed by two landing
efforts: Luna-27 will deliver a drilling rig to the moon, and Luna-28 is designed to deliver regolith from the
moon's polar regions to Earth.

These lunar craft are a prelude to Russian plans to start deploying a full-fledged scientific station on the
moon, in collaboration with China.
"I hope that we will be the first to land in the circumpolar region and conduct the first direct experiments to
study and search for water. This will be the basis from which everyone will then start," Russian researcher
Lev Zelyony, scientific director of the first stage of the Russian lunar program, said in an IKI posting. "So
the successful flight of Luna-25 will mean a lot, and is important not only for pure fundamental science."
Text 18. Nearly 50 Years After Its Last Journey, Russia Launches Toward the Moon
(The Boston Globe)
The Luna-25 mission, years in the making, will try to put a robotic lander near the moon’s south pole.
For the first time in nearly half a century, Russia has launched a spacecraft that is headed to the moon.
On Friday morning at a spaceport in the far eastern part of Russia, a rocket lifted Luna-25, a robotic lander
of moderate size, to Earth orbit. It will try to land in the moon’s south polar region, where the presence of
water ice has attracted the attention of numerous space programs, and make a year’s worth of scientific
observations.
The Soyuz rocket began its flight under cloudy skies at the Vostochny launchpad. About 80 minutes after
the launch, the Luna-25 spacecraft was pushed on a course to the moon according to an update from
Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. It is to reach the moon and enter orbit on Aug. 16, and then attempt
to land on the surface as early as Aug. 21.
Telegraphing his avid attention to the Luna-25 launch, Mr. Putin met with Yuri Borisov, the head of
Russia’s space program, on June 30. Mr. Borisov warned Mr. Putin that the typical chance of success of
such a mission was about 70 percent, according to the Kremlin’s transcript of their meeting.
“Such missions are always risky,” Mr. Borisov told the president. “We would like, of course, for it to be
successful.”
Whatever the prospects of Luna-25, the mission is a sign of how far the Russian space program has fallen
since its glory days in the 1950s and ’60s when it launched the first satellite, Sputnik, and the first astronaut,
Yuri Gagarin, and then raced with NASA to send astronauts to the moon.
Even the probe’s name evokes the Soviet Union’s space-age heyday. Moscow’s previous lunar probe,
launched in 1976, was called the Luna-24.
“The architecture of the lander is very similar to what the Soviet Union used to build for landing on the
moon in the ’70s,” said Anatoly Zak, who publishes RussianSpaceWeb.com, a close tracker of Russia’s
space activities.
“However, it’s a scaled-down version” that takes advantage of modern technological advances, Mr. Zak
said. “When they decided to call it Luna-25, it’s kind of fair, because, in fact, it’s a continuation of the
Soviet legacy.”
Coming out of the moon race, the Soviet space program continued to unlock achievements in planetary
exploration. As recently as the mid-1980s, its Vega 1 and Vega 2 missions put landers on Venus and flew
past Halley’s comet for observations.
The chaos of the Soviet Union’s fall began a lasting period of fallow times for Russian planetary science. In
2011, an ambitious mission to collect dirt and rocks from a Martian moon tumbled back into Earth’s
atmosphere after launch and burned up. A post-mortem report by the Russian space agency blamed cost-
cutting shortcuts and inadequate testing.
Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft still reliably ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. But the country’s
space program has lost much of its once-lucrative business of launching commercial satellites.
Once at the moon on Aug. 16, the Luna-25 lander will enter into a circular orbit 60 miles above the surface.
The lander will spend several days nudging into an elliptical orbit that dips within a dozen miles of the
surface. Then as soon as Aug. 21, it will attempt to land.
Luna-25’s main goal is to test the technologies, setting the groundwork for future lunar missions. “This is
the test bed that will probably enable us to move forward in the moon research program,” said Natan
Eismont, head scientist of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
If Luna-25 lands successfully, it is to operate for at least a year. Its primary landing target is north of
Boguslawsky crater, located at a latitude of about 70 degrees south. Planned experiments include scooping
up soil and analyzing what it is made of. The lander could dig up some water ice below the surface.
“For the first time this will be the moon soil from the vicinity of the pole, the south pole,” Dr. Eismont said.
“Samples have been taken from equatorial areas,” he said, referring to rock and soil samples brought back
by Apollo astronauts, earlier Soviet robotic missions and, most recently, China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft.
“They have been studied, and some conclusions have been made. This, however, doesn’t mean that polar
samples will be the same.”
Landers from several countries have sent robotic spacecraft to the moon in recent years. Only China has
succeeded, going three for three. The other landing attempts all crashed, including an effort by the Japanese
company Ispace in April. A Japanese government mission is to be the next robotic launch, and two
American companies could follow later this year.
Luna-25 is planned to be the first in a series of increasingly ambitious robotic missions headed to the moon.
Luna-26 is expected to be an orbiter, while Luna-27 is to be a bigger, more capable lander. After a low point
following the failure of Russia’s Martian moon mission, planetary science research is now on the upswing in
Russia, Dr. Eismont said.
Text 19. Maui wildfires – latest: Biden heads to Hawaii to meet survivors as death toll
reaches 114 (Independent)
After facing criticism for his response to the disaster, the president will meet with federal, state,
and local leaders in Maui on Monday

President Joe Biden is heading to Hawaii on Monday to survey the damage wrought by the
devastating wildfires which have so far claimed 114 victims in Maui.

After facing criticism for his response to the disaster, the president and First Lady Jill Biden will travel from
Nevada to Maui to meet with federal, state, and local leaders as well as survivors and first responders who
battled the blaze.

Maui County officials said the death toll has now reached 114 people, with around 1,000 still missing.

The search to find and identify victims remains painstakingly slow — only 27 victims have so far been
identified, with families of 16 of those yet to be notified.

While Maui turns to efforts to rebuild the community, locals are now bracing for potential storm effects as
the remnants of post-tropical cyclone Fernanda head to the state.

Heavy rainfall is expected between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, according to the National
Weather Service.

Questions continue to mount over why the sirens didn’t sound to warn Lahaina residents about the wildfires
– and whether this may have cost lives.

Herman Andaya, head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, resigned on Thursday following a
backlash.

The death toll from the Maui wildfires has reached 114 as survivors and city officials grapple with the
devastating aftermath of the days-long blaze that turned the historical town into ashes.

Families in the once vibrant cultural hub of Lahaina are mourning the loss of loved ones and searching for
the many still missing amid fears that real estate developers are already seizing on the tragedy for land
grabs.

At least 114 people lost their lives in the deadliest wildfire in America in the last century, as first responders
continue to search for 1,000 missing in the fire-ravaged landscape.

The tragedy is America’s deadliest wildfire in the last century

Text 20. СМИ: МИД Британии запретил чиновникам называть Россию

враждебной страной (РИА Новости)
Times: МИД Британии запретил чиновникам называть Россию враждебным государством
МОСКВА, 21 авг — РИА Новости. Министерство иностранных дел Великобритании запретило
чиновникам использовать выражение "враждебное государство" по отношению к другим странам,
передает британская газета Times со ссылкой на источники.
"Использование этой фразы фактически запретили в правительственных документах и при обычном
внутреннем обмене сообщениями между государственными служащими, министрами и советниками
по электронной почте и WhatsApp", — говорится в материале.
Так, недавно британский МИД отклонил один из документов из-за использования этого выражения.

В качестве объяснения во внешнеполитическом ведомстве заявили, что государства сами по себе не

являются враждебными по своей сути, но они совершают враждебные действия.
Как пишет издание, в Лондоне таким образом хотят улучшить дипломатические отношения с Китаем,
но решение распространяется и на другие государства. В частности, речь идет о России, Северной
Корее и Иране.
Кроме того, по информации газеты, чиновники отредактировали документы, подготовленные
предыдущими правительствами, и заменили фразу "враждебные государства" на "враждебные
акторы", а слова "враждебная государственная деятельность" заменили понятием "государственные
угрозы". По мнению источника, это позволит избежать юридической двусмысленности.
Нововведение подверглось критике со стороны чиновников, один из них заявил, что решение вызвало
большое недоумение в правительстве.
В начале июня агентство Bloomberg сообщало, что британский премьер-министр Риши Сунак тайно
пытается восстановить отношения с Китаем. Так, некоторое время назад он направил министра
торговли в Гонконг, который во время поездки призвал урегулировать разногласия с Пекином за
закрытыми дверями.
Text 21. Fury as Foreign Office issues 'pathetic' and 'Orwellian' new guidance saying
countries like China, Russia and North Korea should no longer be called 'hostile states'
for fear of upsetting Beijing (Daily Mail)

The Foreign Office came under fire today for telling Government officials to stop branding states hostile to the
UK like Russia, China and North Korea as 'hostile states'.
The department was accused of pandering to Beijing with official guidance that tells Whitehall to refer instead
to specific 'hostile actors'.
One source told the Times that they had been told that 'states aren't inherently hostile themselves, they just do
hostile things', despite countries like Russia regularly issuing open threats to the UK.
The FCDO argues it is changing to use terminology that is also used by the UK's global allies.

But China hawk MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the paper: 'It's pathetic.

'Our position towards China is that we'll deal with it with robust pragmatism but often you can't be robust and
pragmatic at the same time.

'This is Orwellian political speak in which you invent terms that are themselves meaningless to describe
genuine dangerous and difficult circumstances because you have an ulterior motive such as not frightening
your own people or not to upset those you are dealing with.

'The idea that China is not a hostile state is absurd.'

Last month MPs warned Britain faces a 'nightmare scenario' of China controlling its nuclear power stations,
universities and technology sector.
The all-party intelligence and security committee (ISC) accused the Government of responding at a 'glacial
pace' to the issues in a damning report.

Text 22. Incumbent Claims Victory in Zimbabwe Election Amid Fraud Accusations
(The New York Times)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa won another five-year term, but did so by intimidating voters and
manipulating the campaign process, the opposition says.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe claimed victory on Saturday in an election marred by
widespread allegations that the governing party, ZANU-PF, had committed fraud.
Mr. Mnangagwa’s victory over his closest competitor, Nelson Chamisa, after his first full term in office
strengthened ZANU-PF’s grip on power in a nation it has led since independence from Britain in 1980. Over
the past two decades, Zimbabwe has suffered under disastrous economic policies that have led to soaring
prices, high unemployment and a medical system lacking basic drugs and equipment.
Mr. Mnangagwa won 52.6 percent of the vote compared with 44 percent for Mr. Chamisa, according to the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which is responsible for running the election and has faced withering
criticism of showing bias in favor of ZANU-PF.
Mr. Chamisa’s party, Citizens Coalition for Change, quickly denounced the results and vowed to challenge
them.
“We reject any result hastily assembled without proper verification,” Promise Mkwananzi, the party
spokesman, wrote on Twitter shortly after the results were announced. “We will not relent on the people’s
victory!”
With Mr. Mnangagwa, 80, winning another five years in office, Zimbabwe is likely to continue to struggle
to break out of its isolation from Western nations, which have demanded greater democracy and respect for
human rights in exchange for helping it grapple with $18 billion in debt.
Zimbabwe, a southern African nation of 16 million, has a history of election irregularities, and such tactics
helped Robert Mugabe, a liberation leader turned autocrat, maintain power for nearly four decades. Mr.
Mugabe was removed in a coup in 2017 by Mr. Mnangagwa and his allies. The following year, Mr.
Mnangagwa eked out a victory over Mr. Chamisa in an election, winning just over 50 percent of the vote.
This year’s voting, held on Wednesday, was marred by chaotic delays of more than 10 hours at some polling
locations because the country’s electoral commission failed to deliver ballots on time. Thousands of voters
found themselves camping overnight at polling stations because of the delays, which mostly affected urban
areas, where Mr. Chamisa and his party hold most of their support.
The Zimbabwean police drew global condemnation for arresting dozens of members of one of the country’s
most respected election watchdogs on election night, accusing them of plotting to sow discord by releasing
projected election results. The night after the raid, ZANU-PF officials offered their own election projections
at a news conference, and drew no ire from the police.

Before the results were announced, several independent foreign observer missions criticized the fairness and
credibility of the elections. The European Union’s mission offered among the most biting critiques, saying
in a statement that the government curtailed fundamental freedoms by passing repressive laws “and by acts
of violence and intimidation, which resulted in a climate of fear.”
Although Election Day was peaceful, “the election process fell short of many regional and international
standards, including equality, universality and transparency,” the statement said.

Christopher Mutsvangwa, the spokesman for ZANU-PF, said the allegations of vote rigging were “all
humbug.” The election mechanics were foolproof, he said, with agents from every party allowed to observe
the vote counting and sign off on the results in each precinct.
“We have shown the whole world that we have exercised democracy,” he said.
Before the voting on Wednesday, ZANU-PF used the machinery of the state to shut down opposition rallies
and try to get candidates thrown off the ballot in court, analysts said. The governing party also deployed
Forever Associates Zimbabwe, a pseudo-military organization run by people with close ties to the
government’s intelligence agency, to intimidate voters in rural communities, said Bekezela Gumbo, a
principal researcher at the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Harare, the
Zimbabwean capital.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is stacked with officials with ties to ZANU-PF, Mr. Gumbo said.
Critics said that the commission had failed to produce a definitive voter roll and kept adjusting polling
locations, potentially leading to confusion with voters showing up at the wrong places to cast their ballots.
The electoral commission blamed court challenges that held up the printing of ballots for delays in voting on
Election Day. But critics noted that the delays were mostly in Harare and other urban areas that are
opposition strongholds.
The commission invited all of the presidential candidates to observe the tabulation on Saturday before the
results were announced.
“If this is not a demonstration of transparency, then I probably do not know the definition of this word,” said
Rodney Kiwa, the deputy chairman of the commission.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mirirai Moyo, a mother of three, had returned to her market stall in a suburb of
Harare after a failed effort to cast her vote in the morning. There were no ballots at her polling station, she
said.
“I can’t go back because it’s late now,” she said. “It’s sad now. This is what ZANU-PF wanted because it
knew there would be people like me who won’t be able to stick around the polling stations till late.”
Voters also woke up Wednesday to fliers scattered about the streets of Harare and the southern city of
Bulawayo falsely claiming that Mr. Chamisa’s party was urging people not to vote, an apparent effort to
suppress opposition turnout.
Near some polling sites, ZANU-PF set up tables where officials were purportedly conducting exit polls.
They asked voters for their personal information and whom they voted for, and in some cases intimidated
citizens before they cast their vote, according to multiple news reports and social media.

Many had held out hope that a defeat for Mr. Mnangagwa, a former guerrilla fighter in Zimbabwe’s battle
for independence from British colonial rule, would represent a clean break from the suffering under Mr.
Mugabe.
Under Mr. Mnangagwa’s watch, obscenely high, triple-digit inflation returned. An estimated 90 percent of
the work force holds informal odd jobs, like selling vegetables by the roadside, while more educated
Zimbabweans are leaving the country in growing numbers in search of economic opportunity.
Nearly six in 10 Zimbabweans believe that corruption has grown worse since Mr. Mnangagwa took office,
and more than 70 percent say the country is going in the wrong direction, according to Afrobarometer, a
nonpartisan research firm that conducts surveys across Africa.
Supporters of the president and of ZANU-PF argued that he had set up the country for economic success by
luring investors despite barriers they believe have been erected by the West. Zimbabwe sits on Africa’s
largest reserves of lithium, a mineral critical for electric car batteries and other clean technologies. Chinese
companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in lithium production in the country.
Text 23. Labeled Climate Culprits, European Farmers Rebel Over New Standards (The
New York Times)
Asked to cut herds, move or even shut down to help meet E.U. environmental goals, agricultural workers
say too much is demanded of them. Their anger is reshaping the political landscape.
To meet climate goals, some European countries are asking farmers to reduce livestock, relocate or shut
down — and an angry backlash has begun reshaping the political landscape before national elections in the
fall.
This summer, scores of farmers descended on the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, to protest
against new E.U. rules aimed at restoring natural areas and cutting emissions that contribute to climate
change. Farmers have protested in Belgium, Italy and Spain, too.
The discontent has underscored a widening divide on a continent that is on the one hand committed to acting
on climate change but on the other often deeply divided about how to do it and who should pay for it.
Those like Helma Breunissen, who runs a dairy farm in the Netherlands with her husband, say that too much
of the burden is falling on them, threatening both their livelihoods and their way of life.
For almost 20 years, Ms. Breunissen has provided the Dutch with a staple product, cow’s milk, and she felt
that her work was valued by society, she said. The dairy sector in the Netherlands, which also produces
cheeses like Gouda and Edam, is celebrated as a cornerstone of national pride.
But the sector also produces almost half the Netherlands’ emissions of nitrogen, a surplus of which is bad
for biodiversity. Ms. Breunissen and thousands of other farmers bridle that they are now labeled peak
emitters.
“I was confused, sad and angry,” said Ms. Breunissen, who manages a farm of 100 cows in the middle of the
country. “We are doing our best. We try to follow the rules. And suddenly, it’s like you are a criminal.”
A Sense of Betrayal
For many farmers, the feelings run deep. The prominent role of agriculture was enshrined in the European
Union’s founding documents as a way of ensuring food security for a continent still traumatized by the
deprivations of World War II.

But it was also a nod to national identities and a way to protect competing farming interests in what would
become a common market. To that end, from its outset, the bloc established a fund that, to this day, provides
farmers with billions of euros in subsidies every year.
Increasingly, however, those subsidies and the bloc’s founding ideals are running up against a new ambition:
to adapt to a world where climate change threatens traditional ways of life. Scientists are adamant: To
fulfill the bloc’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and to reverse biodiversity losses, Europe has
to transform the way it produces its food.
In the Netherlands, the government has asked thousands of farmers to scale back, move or close. The
authorities set aside about 24 billion euros, about $26 billion, to help farmers put in place more sustainable
solutions — or to buy them out.
Wilhelm Doeleman, a spokesman for the Dutch Agriculture Ministry, said farmers were not the only ones
affected. “The government has also imposed measures in the sectors of construction, mobility and industry,”
he noted.
“But,” he acknowledged, “the biggest challenge lies with the farmers.”
For Ms. Breunissen, who is 48 and works as a veterinarian in addition to her duties on the farm, none of the
government-proposed options seem feasible. She is too young to quit and too old to uproot her life, she said,
and the authorities have not provided enough support and information on how to change what she now does.
“There are so many questions,” she said. “The trust in the government is completely gone.”
A New Political Force
The disappointment of farmers with establishment parties is feeding new political movements — and in
some places has made rural communities a ripe new constituency for far-right nationalist parties and others.
Although only nine million out of almost 400 million voters in Europe work in agriculture, they are a vocal
and influential bloc that attracts the sympathy of many on a continent where a nation’s identity is often tied
to the food it produces.
A host of new groups are vying to displace traditional parties. They include the Farmer Citizen Movement,
known by its Dutch acronym BBB, which was established four years ago.
The party has just one seat in the 150-member Dutch House of Representatives, but it swept regional
elections in March, and polls predict it will do well in national elections in November.

Caroline van der Plas, the party’s co-founder, used to be a journalist in The Hague covering the meat
industry, and she has never worked in farming. But she grew up in a small city in a rural area, and she said
in an interview that she wanted to be “the voice of the people in rural regions who are not seen or heard” by
policymakers.
She and her party have talked down the need for drastic steps to cut emissions, saying the reductions can be
achieved through technological innovation. Policies should be based on “common sense,” she said, while
offering no concrete solutions.
“It’s not like science says this or that,” Ms. van der Plas said, referring to how theories can change. “Science
is always asking questions.”
Parties like the Farmer Citizen Movement are making headway, analysts said, by presenting the issue
of ecological transition as part of the culture wars.
Referring to that phenomenon, Ariel Brunner, the Brussels-based Europe director of the environmental
charity BirdLife International, said, “There is political manipulation.”
But, he added, “it is feeding on real grievances, and a real sense of hardship.”

Text 24. Warming Set the Stage for Canada’s Record Fires, Study Finds (The New York
Times)
Climate change has made hot, dry and windy conditions like those that fueled this year’s blazes at least
twice as common as they would otherwise be.
Hot, dry and gusty conditions like those that fed this year’s wildfires in eastern Canada are now at least
twice as likely to occur there as they would be in a world that humans hadn’t warmed by burning fossil
fuels, a team of researchers said Tuesday, providing a first scientific assessment of climate change’s role in
intensifying the country’s fires.
So far this year, fires have ravaged 37 million acres across nearly every Canadian province and territory.
That’s more than twice as large as the amount of Canadian land that burned in any other year on record.
Tens of thousands of people — including most of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories —
have fled their homes. Smoke has turned the air toxic in cities as far south as Atlanta.
Wildfires can be ignited by lightning or human-related causes such as unattended campfires, downed power
lines and arson. The way fires spread and grow is shaped by the structure and composition of the forests and
landscape. But heat, rain and snow affect how flammable the trees and brush are, which can determine how
intensely blazes burn and how tough they are to put out.
In an analysis issued Tuesday, researchers with the World Weather Attribution initiative estimated that
eastern Canada now had a 4 to 5 percent chance, in any given year, of experiencing high-fire-risk conditions
as severe or worse than this year’s. This likelihood is at least double what it would be in a hypothetical
world without human-caused climate change, they said. And the probability will increase as nations blanket
the planet with more heat-trapping gases.
“Fire-weather risks due to climate change are increasing,” said Dorothy Heinrich, a technical adviser at the
Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center who worked on the analysis. “Both mitigation and dedicated
adaptation strategies are going to be required to reduce the drivers of risk and decrease its impacts on
people’s lives, livelihoods and communities.”

World Weather Attribution aims to estimate, shortly after a heat wave, flood, drought or other extreme
weather event, how human-caused warming has altered the chances that events of such severity will occur.
Scientists do this by using computer models of the global climate to compare the real world with a
hypothetical one that hasn’t been transformed by decades of greenhouse gas emissions.
One of the first scientific studies to evaluate humankind’s contribution to a specific weather event examined
the devastating 2003 European heat wave. Since then, researchers have studied extreme events of all kinds
and expanded their tool kit for attributing them to human-caused changes. World Weather Attribution,
formed in 2015, has developed a standardized protocol so such analyses can be completed soon after severe
weather hits, while people and policymakers are still discussing how to recover and rebuild.
When researchers with the group examined Australia’s deadly wildfires of late 2019 and early 2020, they
calculated that the exceptional warmth and dryness that preceded the blazes was at least 30 percent more
likely to occur there than it would be in a world without global warming.
As is typical for World Weather Attribution, the analysis of Canada’s fires is being made public before
being submitted for academic peer review. Most of the group’s research is later published in peer-reviewed
journals.
Their latest analysis focused on northern Quebec, where fires in June alone burned nine times as much land
as in the previous decade combined. The region’s wetter climate makes it less accustomed to large wildfires
than the country’s West.
The researchers looked at the Fire Weather Index, a metric that includes temperature, humidity, wind and
precipitation. They estimated that a Quebec fire season with a peak intensity, a rough gauge of how quickly
fires can spread, like this year’s was at least twice as common as it would be without global warming. And a
fire season with a cumulative severity like this year’s, a potential measure of how much land is burned in
total, is seven times as common, they said.
They cautioned that these were conservative estimates. “The real number will be higher, but it’s very
difficult to say how much higher,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London who
also contributed to the analysis.

Canada’s fire season isn’t over. More than 1,000 fires were raging there this week, most of them
uncontrolled. British Columbia has been under a state of emergency as fires threaten areas near cities
including Kelowna and Kamloops.
In Quebec, many forests where timber was recently harvested may be too young to regenerate after the
flames are out, said Victor Danneyrolles, a forest ecologist with joint appointments at the University of
Quebec at Chicoutimi and the University of Quebec at Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Dr. Danneyrolles, who wasn’t involved in World Weather Attribution’s analysis, said the group’s findings
didn’t surprise him. In a 2021 study, he and several colleagues found that climate fluctuations were the
dominant factor behind the amount of land in eastern Canada burned by wildfires between 1850 and 1990.
Climate had greater influence, they found, than the region’s populating by settlers of European origin, who
burned land to clear it for farming.
Today, rising heat and dryness appear to be altering fire patterns once again, Dr. Danneyrolles said.
“If a year like 2023 becomes something which comes back every 20 years, then the system will be in a
completely new era in terms of fires,” he said. “It’s something that hasn’t been observed during the last
century, maybe not in the last thousand years.”

Text 25. Latest News on Climate Change and the Environment (The New York Times)
America’s groundwater crisis. A New York Times investigation has found that the United States is
depleting its invaluable reserves of groundwater at a dangerous rate. Vast aquifers are shrinking nationwide,
threatening supplies of drinking water and America’s status as a food superpower. Climate change is
amplifying the problem.
Geothermal energy. An ambitious effort is underway to unlock vast amounts of geothermal energy from
Earth’s hot interior, a source of renewable power that could help displace fossil fuels that are dangerously
warming the planet. Some are trying to unlock it by using techniques from the fracking boom.
E.U. farmers. To meet climate goals, some European countries are asking farmers to reduce livestock,
relocate or shut down — and an angry backlash has begun reshaping the political landscape. The discontent
has underscored a widening divide on a continent that is committed to acting on climate change but is often
divided about how to do it and who should pay for it.
Wildfires in Canada. Hot, dry and gusty conditions like those that fed this year’s wildfires in eastern
Canada are now at least twice as likely to occur there as they would be in a world that humans hadn’t
warmed by burning fossil fuels, a team of researchers said, providing a first scientific assessment of climate
change’s role in intensifying the country’s fires.
A climate case in the United States. A group of young people in Montana won a landmark lawsuit when a
judge ruled that the state’s failure to consider climate change when approving fossil fuel projects was
unconstitutional. The decision marks a victory in the expanding fight against government support for oil, gas
and coal, the burning of which has rapidly warmed the planet.

Text 26. Начались беспорядки. Европа на пороге кризиса из-за дефицита воды
(РИА Новости)
МОСКВА, 29 авг — РИА Новости. В последние десятилетия в Европе все чаще происходят
сильные засухи. Воды не хватает, страдают экосистемы, сельское хозяйство и энергетический сектор.
Под угрозой здоровье людей. По мнению ученых, причины — в изменении климата и устаревшей
инфраструктуре.
Климат подает сигналы
Сильнейшая жара на юге европейских стран обнажила проблему, о которой много лет
предупреждают специалисты: грядет кризис водных ресурсов.
Об этом, например, написали в 2018-м авторы из Глобального водного партнерства. Как сказано в
статье, дефицит влаги наблюдается в Европе все чаще, что негативно влияет на экономику и людей.
Так, с 1978-го по 2006-й на 20 процентов увеличилось количество затронутых засухой
территорий ЕС. Между тем власти не считают угрозу значимой и не пытаются с ней бороться.
Еще в 2012-м Объединенный исследовательский центр Еврокомиссии отмечал, что обширные
области Испании и Восточной Европы испытывают трех- и местами десятикратный недостаток
пресной воды. Уже тогда эксперты призывали разрабатывать новую политику в этой сфере.
Во Франции в деревнях из-за нехватки водопроводной воды уже происходили беспорядки,
сообщает Politico. Как пишет Financial Times, в Испании вспыхивали конфликты между фермерами
— крупнейшими потребителями пресной воды — и экологами. Журналисты обращают внимание на
то, что климат изменяется быстро, а плохое управление усугубляет ситуацию.
Проблема коснулась не только самых засушливых районов Европы, но и влажных территорий, таких
как Германия и Польша. Сильный дефицит воды испытывает Бельгия, где высока плотность
населения и не развита инфраструктура.
Европейские политики и экологи в открытую говорят о том, что изменение климата несет угрозу. И
подчеркивают: общими ресурсами нужно управлять более разумно. Однако ситуация меняется
медленно, хотя соответствующие законы принимают в Италии и Испании. Во Франции Эммануэль
Макрон инициировал новую стратегию управления водными ресурсами, которая предполагает
снизить потребление воды на десять процентов к концу десятилетия. Большой план по адаптации к
дефициту влаги до 2050 года разработали также в Германии.
В поисках тенденций и причины
Ученые наблюдают сильные засухи в Европе примерно с нулевых. С 2015-го по 2019-й
экстремальная жара затронула более половины территории. Нынешним летом стихия побила рекорды
— на юге температура достигала 46 градусов, что вызывало перебои с электроэнергией.
За последние 40 лет средние летние температуры в регионе повысились на два градуса Цельсия —
гораздо быстрее, чем в других частях планеты. По мнению исследователей, такая тенденция
приводит к более частым волнам тепла, что, в свою очередь, повышает риск лесных пожаров. На юге,
кроме того, возникает положительная обратная связь — потепление вызывает засухи, снижается
испарение влаги, облачность уменьшается.
Три года подряд — с 2018-го по 2020-й — в Голландии весной и летом было очень сухо. Зимой не
удавалось восстановить баланс, и начинался дефицит воды, пишут ученые из Королевского
метеорологического института и Утрехтского университета. Ситуация выправилась только весной
2021 года, однако последствия, по мнению экспертов, могут растянуться надолго. На примере
бассейна реки Рейн исследователи показали: такие периоды случаются в среднем дважды за 30 лет,
причем рост среднегодовой температуры всего на один градус удваивает частоту экстремальных
засух.
По данным Европейской обсерватории засух, на начало августа почти 40 процентов территории
испытывает дефицит влаги. Специалисты этого проекта рассчитывают комбинированный индекс,
объединяющий разные индикаторы: чем он выше, тем серьезнее ситуация. В зоне риска
— Фарерские острова, Литва, Эстония, Армения. Немногим лучше в Чехии, Молдове, Германии.
Ученые из Боснии и Герцеговины вместе с коллегами из Китая реконструировали историю засух за
последние 300 лет и выяснили, что тенденция появилась примерно в 1850-х и в последние
десятилетия усилилась. Особенно это заметно в Южной и Центральной Европе.
В этом году регион с весны испытывает нехватку водных ресурсов. Как показали ученые из
Технологического университета Граца, период сильной засухи продолжается с 2018 года, на что
указывает низкий уровень грунтовых вод, картируемый гравиметрией со спутников. Реки мелеют,
водоемы летом пересыхают — все это негативно влияет на природу и людей. Водные виды теряют
привычные места обитания, страдает сельское хозяйство, возникает угроза перебоев с
электроэнергией — для ГЭС и АЭС нужна вода.
Кроме того, сильная продолжительная жара повышает смертность среди населения Европы.
По подсчетам ученых, волна тепла прошлым летом прямо или косвенно привела к гибели более чем
61 тысячи человек.
Text 27. Япония хочет обсудить с Китаем вопрос воды с аварийной АЭС (РИА
Новости)
ТОКИО, 29 авг – РИА Новости. Правительство Японии намерено продолжить сотрудничать с
Китаем по вопросам, представляющим общий интерес, для построения конструктивных отношений,
но хотела бы провести ряд встреч в ответ на действия Пекина после начала сброса воды с аварийной
АЭС "Фукусима-1", заявил в ходе пресс-конференции глава японского МИД Ёсимаса Хаяси.
"В ноябре прошлого года в отношениях между Японией и Китаем был налажен положительный
импульс, и мы хотели бы поддержать его и просим Китай ответственно подходить к данному вопросу.
Что касается реакции КНР в ответ на сброс прошедшей очистку системой ALPS воды, то мы хотели
бы провести серию встреч по данному вопросу", - подчеркнул министр.
Хаяси также добавил, что Токио намерен "продолжать взаимодействовать с Китаем по вопросам
общего интереса для
"Обе страны должны предпринять усилия в данном направлении", - отметил он.
Компания ТЕРСО 24 августа начала сброс океан воды, которая до этого служила для охлаждения
поврежденных реакторов, а затем прошла очистку в системе ALPS. Система позволяет очистить ее от
62 видов радионуклидов, за исключением трития. Эта вода хранится в гигантских резервуарах на
территории станции. К настоящему времени почти 90% от их объема в 1,37 миллиона тонн
заполнены.
Начатый накануне этап пробного сброса воды продлится 17 дней, в течение которых предполагается
высвободить в океан 7800 кубических метров воды. Общий объем сброшенной воды с аварийной
АЭС "Фукусима-1" в Японии в течение 2023 финансового года, который завершится 31 марта 2024
года, составит 31,2 тысячи тонн с концентрацией радиоактивного трития в 5 триллионов беккерелей.
Несмотря на то, что TEPCO и японские власти утверждают, что сброс воды не представляет угрозу
окружающей среде и человеку, Китай и ряд других стран выступают с острой критикой подобных
действий. В частности, КНР запретил импорт всей японской продукции морского промысла и усилил
таможенный контроль других продуктов из Японии.
Кроме этого, МИД Японии сообщил, что фиксирует после начала сброса воды с АЭС "Фукусима-1"
24 августа многочисленные жалобы на поступающие телефонные звонки, предположительно из
Китая, с оскорбительным содержанием. Звонки поступали как абонентам в Японии, так и в японские
учреждения в Китае. Также были зафиксированы нападения на японские школы в Китае и
дипломатические учреждения. В связи с данными инцидентами китайской стороне было направлено
представление. Правительство Японии также призвало Пекин предпринять меры по недопущению
повторения и обеспечения безопасности японских граждан и дипломатических миссий.

Text 28. Schools egged, businesses harassed: Japan suffers Chinese backlash over
Fukushima release (CNN)

A wave of online harassment and vitriol directed at Japanese people following the release of treated
radioactive wastewater from Fukushima has sent tensions between Japan and China soaring,
prompting Tokyo to summon the Chinese ambassador.
China’s heavily censored internet exploded in outrage after Japan officially began releasing the
wastewater on Thursday.

Several videos on social media show Chinese callers dialing the numbers of Japanese businesses and
institutions, then shouting into the phone, “Why do you release nuclear polluted water to the ocean?”

The comments below the videos are full of users sharing numbers to call, and encouraging each other.
“I just called as well,” one person wrote.

The mayor of Fukushima, Hiroshi Kohata, said on Saturday the city’s town hall alone had received
about 200 such harassment calls in two days. Many other locations around the city have received
similar calls, he said, including elementary and junior high schools, restaurants, hotels and inns.

“Many of them are from +86 (China’s country code) and are in Chinese,” he added in a Facebook
post. “In addition to the damage caused by the nuclear accident, Fukushima is also burdened with the
aftermath. We demand that the government be informed of this situation as soon as possible and take
action.”

One seafood market in Fukushima prefecture received dozens of calls from Chinese numbers on
Friday, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

Japan’s foreign ministry said on Monday it had summoned the Chinese ambassador over the
harassment calls, saying the incidents were “extremely regrettable and worrisome.”

It urged Beijing to take “appropriate measures immediately to prevent the situation from escalating,”
and to avoid spreading inaccurate information about the wastewater release.

It’s not just businesses inside Japan being targeted. Japanese institutions in China have also been
harassed, said the foreign ministry, urging Beijing to “ensure the safety of Japanese residents in China
and Japanese diplomatic missions in China.”

A stone was thrown into the grounds of a Japanese school in Qingdao, in China’s Shandong province,
on Thursday when the release began, according to NHK. The next day, several eggs were thrown at a
Japanese school in Suzhou, in China’s Jiangsu province.

No children were hurt in either case, and the schools have since stepped up their security, NHK
reported.

The report did not identify the perpetrators or say whether they were motivated by concerns over
Fukushima.

But the incidents have nevertheless contributed to the fear and anxiety among Japanese residents in
China.

On Thursday as the wastewater release began, the Japanese embassy in China issued a warning to
Japanese living in the country, warning them not to “speak Japanese loudly” when out in public, and
to “be cautious in your speech and behavior.”

The embassy in Beijing has ramped up security and deployed more personnel around the building,
NHK reported.

China’s response, however, has been less than sympathetic.

On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Japan released a statement condemning the release once again,
accusing Tokyo of causing “unpredictable harm” to human and marine health, denying that it had
spread any misinformation – and claiming that it, too, had received harassment calls, but from
Japanese numbers.
In an echo of the Japanese embassy’s statement, it urged Tokyo to protect the safety of Chinese
residents in Japan.

When asked what measures China would take to address the harassment, a spokesperson for the
Chinese Foreign Ministry said: “China has always protected the safety and lawful interests of foreign
nationals in China according to law.”

Sushi diplomacy
The release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima prompted a swift and angry response from
Chinese authorities, who on Thursday announced a ban on all seafood imports from Japan.

Many social media users have gone a step further by advocating a broader boycott of Japanese
products. On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, users have circulated lists of Japanese brands
ranging from cosmetics to food and beverages, and urged people not to buy their products.

But some observers outside China say the explosive backlash in the country may be more politically
driven than scientifically informed, and accuse Beijing of a double standard. Many countries,
including China, release treated radioactive water from their own nuclear plants, sometimes at higher
concentrations than in Fukushima.

This fact, however, is missing from online discussions in China. The few voices trying to explain the
science behind the discharge have been censored and scrubbed from social media.

“Contamination is scientifically not that serious, and China’s own water release and other countries’
water releases are much more (concentrated) than the Japanese case,” said Yasuhiro Matsuda, a
professor of international politics at the University of Tokyo’s Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia.

He added that the discharge isn’t a strategically important issue to China, the way national security is,
so the furor may instead be an attempt by Beijing to gain “political leverage.” However, he said the
social media attacks and public sentiment had ballooned beyond authorities’ control, becoming “an
all-out bashing of Japan.”

Some supporters have taken to eating regional seafood in a show of solidarity.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ate a seafood lunch on
Monday, the presidential office said, adding that sashimi and grilled mackerel were served for lunch
at the office cafeteria.

Photos released by the office show government workers and media personnel feasting on seafood,
though there were no such images of Yoon and Han.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike tucked into a lunch of raw fish from Fukushima on Friday, a day after
the discharge began, said an official from the metropolitan government – adding that it was to show
support for the reconstruction of the damaged Tohoku region after the 2011 disaster.

The Tokyo metropolitan government served seafood from Fukushima in its staff cafeteria last week,
with the menu featuring items such as fried sardines and grilled mackerel. Other prefectures are
considering similar programs, with the Osaka governor proposing Fukushima seafood be served at all
government cafeterias.

The US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, is expected to visit a city in Fukushima this week,
where he plans to eat locally caught fish to show support for the wastewater release, a US embassy
official told CNN.

A fractious relationship
The tensions between China and Japan come against the backdrop of their historically fractious
relationship, which dates back beyond World War II and includes a variety of maritime territorial
disputes.

Chinese calls for boycotts of Japan are relatively frequent, breaking out whenever old grievances rear
their heads or territorial disputes flare, experts say.

In 2012, trade relations sank to a low point when Japan nationalized a group of islands in the East
China Sea claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing, fueling violent anti-Japanese protests across cities in
China. The boycotts turned into violent attacks against Japanese-owned or branded factories in China
as well as automakers and home appliance retailers.

There are similarities between the situation now and 2012, said Matsuda, including anger and
dissatisfaction among the Chinese public, who face high unemployment rates, rising costs of living
and slowing economic growth following the pandemic.

The Fukushima issue could simply be a trigger to “release” these frustrations, he said. However, he
thought the current controversy was unlikely to spiral into the kinds of attacks and open street protests
seen in 2012.

Still, the bilateral relationship looks to be under strain again, with China asking the head of a Japanese
political party to postpone his planned visit this week.

The party head had hoped to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping and hand over a personal letter from
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Reuters reported, but Chinese authorities told the party on Saturday
that “the timing is not appropriate considering the current situation of Japan-China relations.”

Text 29. Libya dismisses foreign minister after meeting with Israeli counterpart causes
outcry (CNN)

Libya’s internationally recognized government dismissed Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush on

Sunday after a meeting she held with her Israeli counterpart sparked an uproar in the country.

Israel’s foreign ministry announced on Sunday night that the meeting had taken place in Rome last
week.

The Libyan foreign ministry rejected reports that the meeting was officially sanctioned and said in a
statement that it was “informal,” “unprepared” and “did not include negotiations or consultations.”

It added that Mangoush “reaffirmed Libya’s principles towards the Palestinian cause in a clear and
unambiguous manner.”

Libya does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and normalization of ties remains a controversial
issue in the country. Videos circulating on social media over the weekend showed Libyan protesters
burning Israeli flags and attempting to enter the gates of a government building in Tripoli.

An Israeli source familiar with the situation appeared to dispute the Libyan account on Monday,
saying the meeting with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen was planned, and news that it had taken place
was supposed to be made public at some point. The source requested anonymity to discuss diplomatic
issues.

The source said there were discussions before the ministers met about publishing the fact of the
meeting, but that “the timing of when it would be published wasn’t agreed on yet.”
The Israeli foreign ministry published its statement Sunday in response to questions from an Israeli
journalist who got word of the meeting and asked the ministry about it, the source said. Israel told
Mangoush that was what had happened, the source said.

Cohen earlier called the meeting “historic” and described it as “the first step in the connections
between Israel and Libya.”

“I spoke with the foreign minister about the vast potential for the two countries from their relations, as
well as the importance of preserving the heritage of Libyan Jewry, which includes renovating
synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country,” Cohen was cited as saying by Israel’s foreign
ministry.

Libya has fallen into chaos since a NATO-backed uprising overthrew former ruler Moammar Gadhafi
in 2011. The country has been split into two rival governments, one in Tripoli and one in Benghazi,
since 2014.

The parliament backing the eastern-based government denounced Mangoush’s meeting with Cohen
and called for a “harsh punishment.”

Mangoush was Libya’s first female foreign minister.

Text 30. В Ливии отстранили главу МИД после информации о ее встрече с

коллегой из Израиля (Интерфакс)

Москва. 28 августа. INTERFAX.RU - Премьер-министр Ливии Абдель Хамид Дбейба отстранил от

работы министра иностранных дел страны Наджлу Мангуш после того, как в Израиле
распространили информацию о ее встрече с израильским коллегой Эли Коэном, сообщает в
понедельник Associated Press.

Дбейба, который руководит правительством национального единства Ливии, контролирующем

Триполи, также упомянул, что в отношении Мангуш инициировано расследование, однако детали не
уточнил.

При этом в МИД Ливии заявили, что встреча носила неофициальный характер и не была
спланирована заранее. В ведомстве подчеркнули, что никаких соглашений на ней не принималось.

Переговоры состоялись на минувшей неделе в Риме. По словам израильского министра иностранных

дел Коэна, они затронули тему сохранения наследия еврейского сообщества в Ливии, а также
возможную помощь со стороны Израиля в гуманитарных вопросах, сельском хозяйстве, водных
ресурсах.

После того, как Израиль объявил об этой встрече, Мангуш покинула Ливию и отправилась в Турцию,
отмечает агентство со ссылкой на официальное лицо в МИД Ливии, отметили источники агентства.

По данным Associated Press, после этой информации на улицах Триполи и рядя других городов
прошло несколько акций протеста.

Между Ливией и Израилем никогда не было дипломатических отношений.

Text 31. African Union suspends Niger in crackdown over coup (CNN)

The African Union has suspended Niger following the takeover of the West African country by a
military junta on July 26.
In a much-anticipated statement, the African Union (AU) – a union of 55 member states – announced
its decision to “immediately suspend the participation of the Republic of Niger from all activities of
the AU and its Organs and institutions until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the
country.”

The suspension was decided at a meeting on August 14 held by the AU’s Peace and Security Council
regarding the military coup in Niger.

The AU called on both its members and the international community to “reject this unconstitutional
change of government and to refrain from any action likely to grant legitimacy to the illegal regime in
Niger.”

The AU Peace and Security Council also ordered an assessment of the decision by West African bloc,
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prepare a standby force for potential
deployment to Niger.

The council will review an assessment of the “economic, social and security implications of deploying
a Standby Force in Niger,” it said.

ECOWAS chiefs had initially given the junta a seven-day ultimatum to restore power or face
consequences, including military action.

That planned action did not happen as many attempts at dialogue and diplomacy have been made by
ECOWAS and allies such as US and the European Union.

A top ECOWAS official said Friday that the bloc is ready to push ahead with military intervention in
Niger and had chosen the “D-Day.”

The bloc’s Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace & Security Abdel-Fatau Musah told a press
conference in Ghana that ECOWAS is not prepared to “engage in endless dialogue” with the junta and
military forces are “ready to go anytime the order is given” for military intervention.

The African Union affirmed its “solidarity” with ECOWAS’s efforts to restore constitutional order in
Niger “through diplomatic means,” it said.

In the official statement, the African Union urged the military junta to prioritize “the supreme
interests of Niger and its people above all else,” and “to immediately and unconditionally return to the
barracks, and submit to civilian authorities consistent with the Constitution of Niger.”

The AU suspension comes days after the junta proposed a return to democracy within three years.

Niger’s military ruler General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and
seized power in a coup, said during a televised address on Saturday evening that neither the junta “nor
the people of Niger want war and remain open to dialogue.”

He said the principles of the transition would be decided within the next 30 days as part of a national
dialogue hosted by the junta and the transition itself “should last no longer than three years.”

Text 32. Африканский союз приостановил деятельность Нигера в организации

(ТАСС)
По данным телеканала Al Arabiya, решение вступает в силу с 22 августа
КАИР, 22 августа. /ТАСС/. Совет мира и безопасности Африканского союза (АС) принял решение
приостановить деятельность Нигера в организации. Об этом сообщает телеканал Al Arabiya.
"[Принято решение] приостановить деятельность Республики Нигер во всех мероприятиях Африканского
союза, его органов и учреждений до эффективного восстановления конституционного порядка в стране", -
говорится в коммюнике. Соответствующее решение было принято в ходе прошедшего 14 августа
заседания Совета мира и безопасности АС.
Совет мира и безопасности АС поддерживает усилия Экономического сообщества стран Западной
Африки (ECOWAS) по восстановлению порядка в Нигере мирным путем.

"Мы поддерживаем действия ECOWAS по восстановлению порядка в Нигере дипломатическим путем", -

приводит канал заявление совета. При этом в организации подчеркнули, что "оценивают последствия
[возможного] использования сил ECOWAS для военной интервенции в Нигер".
Совет мира и безопасности АС также выступил с призывом к международному сообществу "не
признавать легитимность произошедшего в Нигере военного переворота".
В конце июля группа военных из президентской гвардии Нигера подняла мятеж и объявила об
отстранении президента Мохамеда Базума. Для управления страной был сформирован Национальный
совет спасения родины во главе с командующим гвардией Абдурахманом Тчиани. Лидеры стран - членов
ECOWAS ввели против мятежников жесткие санкции и потребовали от них освободить Базума,
пригрозив применением силы.
18 августа комиссар по вопросам мира и безопасности ECOWAS Абдель Фатау Мусах по итогам
прошедшей в столице Ганы встречи начальников генштабов ВС государств сообщества заявил, что
точная дата начала военного вмешательства в ситуацию в Нигере определена. Официально она пока не
объявлена.

Text 33. What was the Black Sea grain deal and why did it collapse? (The Guardian)
What was the Black Sea grain deal?
The Black Sea grain initiative was negotiated in July 2022 between Turkey, the UN and Russia as a way of
ensuring that Ukraine, one of the breadbaskets of the world, could ensure that its grain could leave its
southern ports via the Bosphorus. The grain could not be exported in the quantities required using the
alternative methods of road or rail through Poland or by canal and river through Romania.
Turkey was involved due to the close relationship between its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and
Vladimir Putin and because under the Montreux convention signed in 1936 it oversees maritime traffic in
the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits.

What did the grain deal promise?

The initiative, one of the few diplomatic achievements since the war started, allows for commercial food and
fertiliser (including ammonia) exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odesa,
Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi (formerly known as Yuzhny). Ukrainian vessels guide cargo ships into
international waters of the Black Sea, avoiding mined areas. The vessels then proceed towards Istanbul
along an agreed maritime humanitarian corridor. Ships heading to and from the Ukrainian ports are
inspected by teams composed of Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian and UN inspectors. Alongside this
memorandum, a separate deal was signed minimising the impact of sanctions on the export of Russian food
and fertiliser. Both memorandums were subject to four- and then two-monthly reviews.

Did it succeed?
Despite the acute lack of trust, 33m tonnes of grain left Ukraine’s ports in the year to July. The UK says
about 61% of that has gone to low- and middle-income countries, and 65% of wheat alone. The World Food
Programme bought about 750,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain that was shipped immediately to places such as
Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. Partly as a result of this, the price of grain stabilised at $800
(£620) per tonne, down from a high of $1,360.

Russia claims the proportion of the grain that went to the very poorest countries was less than 4%, but this
ignores the fact that even if wealthier countries were buying the wheat, the extra supply was depressing the
general price all countries were paying.

What started to go wrong?

Russia started to slow down inspections. In October 2022 there were 10 completed ship inspections a day,
meaning 4.2m metric tonnes left that month, falling to seven a day in November andtwo in May, when only
1.3m metric tonnes left. The UN had the capacity to inspect as many as 40 ships a day.

Compared with March 2023, there was a 29% decrease in food exports by tonnage through the initiative in
April and a 66% decrease in May. Russian ended the deal this week.
Why did it start to go wrong?
In essence, Russia felt the second part of deal allowing for greater Russian agricultural exports was not
being honoured by the west. The UK says levels of Russian food exports are higher than last year and it is
exporting plenty of grain and fertiliser out of Novorossiysk. But Moscow says sanctions on Russian goods
exports have not been lifted clearly enough to give cautious insurers legal comfort to insure Russian ships
carrying food. It also wanted sanctions lifted on its main agriculture bank. Other demands include the
resumption of supplies of agricultural machinery and parts, the resumption of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia
pipeline and the unblocking of assets and the accounts of Russian companies involved in food and fertiliser
exports.

Who is to blame for the situation?

The west claims Putin thought the deal was not worth preserving since it was allowing Ukrainian coffers and
farmers to benefit from its grain exports. Genuine efforts were being made by the UN secretary general,
António Guterres, to meet Putin’s demands.

The west acknowledges grain exports to the least developing countries were not returning at the desired rate.
In the case of wheat, there had been an export drop of 11.8m tonnes in 2022 on the previous year, equivalent
to the annual wheat food consumption of 175 million people, roughly the population of Bangladesh. For
corn and barley, the export gap is as large as 41% and 82%, respectively, of the previous year’s level.
Almost 8m tonnes of goods were shipped to China, nearly 25% of the 32.9m tonnes exported, while almost
44% of exports were shipped to high-income countries.

What happens next?

Russia’s defence ministry has in effect said any ship leaving a Ukrainian port will be a legitimate military
target. Turkey, a Nato member, could threaten to confront Russia by guiding the grain exports out of the
ports without Russian permission but that is a high-risk step. Putin has hinted he is willing to go back into
the deal if his demands are met. But the bombing of Odesa port suggests his hint at flexibility may be
designed to stem a potential loss of political support in the global south.

More likely, according to the analytics firm Smartcube, a drop in exports will lead to increased stockpiles in
Ukraine and could force farmers to reduce sowing in the 2023-24 season. Russia might increase the export
tax on wheat to finance its military campaign in Ukraine and, finally, shortages of fertilisers may intensify as
Russia, together with Belarus, is one of the world’s largest sources of mineral fertilisers. Both these
countries account for approximately 14% of the world’s fertiliser production and exports.

This article was amended on 21 July 2023. Due to an error in the information supplied to us, an earlier
version referred to the grain price as having stabilised at $800 “per bushel”, rather than per tonne.

Text 34. Зерновая сделка: что о ней нужно знать инвестору (РБК)

Кремль не готов вернуться к зерновой сделке без выполнения условий России. В чем они
заключаются, как развивались события вокруг продуктового соглашения и что ждет инвестора в
этой ситуации — в нашем разборе

«Зерновая сделка» («продуктовая сделка», «черноморская инициатива») — это соглашения между

Россией, Украиной, Турцией и ООН, подписанные в Стамбуле 22 июля 2022 года. Документы
предполагали создание безопасного коридора для вывоза по Черному морю сельхозпродукции из
украинских портов при условии снятия западных ограничений на продовольственный экспорт
России. Представители Турции и ООН обязались контролировать, что на суднах с зерном не будут
перевозить оружие и боеприпасы.

Зерновая сделка — это пакетное соглашение, состоящее из двух документов. Российская сторона
подчеркивала, что они равнозначны и взаимосвязаны.

1. «Инициатива по безопасной транспортировке зерна и продовольствия из портов Украины»

Сначала документ подписали министр обороны России Сергей Шойгу и его турецкий коллега
Хулуси Акар при свидетельстве генерального секретаря ООН Антониу Гутерриша. После этого
аналогичный документ подписал министр инфраструктуры Украины Александр Кубраков.

В рамках соглашения создан безопасный коридор по Черному морю для экспорта зерна,
продовольствия и удобрений из украинских портов.
Следить за погрузкой должны были представители Турции и ООН, а проверять суда на входе и
выходе в Черном море — четырехсторонний координационный центр.
Срок действия договора составил 120 дней (с 22 июля по 19 ноября 2022) с возможностью
автоматического продления. В ноябре соглашение пролонгировали еще на 120 дней. После этого его
продлевали два раза на 60 дней. Сокращение срока продления в российском МИДе объясняли тем,
что вторая часть сделки, касающаяся российского экспорта, не выполняется.

2. «Меморандум о взаимопонимании между Российской Федерацией и Секретариатом ООН о

содействии продвижению российских продуктов питания и удобрений на мировые рынки»

Этот документ подписали российский первый вице-премьер Андрей Белоусов и генеральный

секретарь ООН Антониу Гутерриш. Министр иностранных дел России Сергей Лавров описал задачи
меморандума следующим образом:

обеспечение беспрепятственных поставок российских продовольствия и удобрений на мировые

рынки;
устранение препятствий, которые создали США и ЕС в сферах финансов, страхования и логистики
при этих поставках.
Срок действия меморандума составил три года.

Почему зерновая сделка была прекращена

17 июля 2023 года Россия официально уведомила украинскую сторону, что возражает против
продления зерновой сделки. Соглашение прекратило функционировать 18 июля 2023 года. В
заявлении российский МИД указал, что:

сделка превратилась в коммерческий проект, фактически утратив свою изначальную гуманитарную

функцию — предотвращение голода в государствах, испытывающих дефицит продовольствия;
вторая часть сделки, касающаяся соблюдения российских интересов, не соблюдалась.
В российском МИДе перечислили пять «системных проблем», которые необходимо устранить:

переподключение «Россельхозбанка» к SWIFT;

возобновление поставок сельхозтехники, запчастей и сервисного обслуживания;
отмена ограничений на страхование и перестрахование плюс снятие запрета на доступ в порты;
восстановление работы аммиакопровода «Тольятти — Одесса»;
разблокирование зарубежных активов и счетов российских компаний, связанных с производством и
транспортировкой продовольствия и удобрений.

Куда вывозилось зерно

По данным ООН на 20 июля 2023 года, за год действия зерновой сделки было вывезено 32,9 млн
тонн сельхозпродукции, из которой почти 90% составили: кукуруза (16,9 млн тонн), пшеница (8,9
млн тонн), подсолнечный шрот (1,9 млн тонн) и подсолнечное масло (1,7 млн тонн).

По статистике ООН, примерно 65% вывезенной продукции получили пять стран: Китай (8 млн тонн),
Испания (6 млн тонн), Турция (3,2 млн тонн), Италия (2,1 млн тонн), Нидерланды (2 млн тонн).

17 июля 2023 года МИД России официально заявил, что за время работы зерновой сделки 70%
грузов были отправлены в страны с высоким и выше среднего уровнями доходов, включая ЕС. На
долю беднейших государств, в частности Эфиопии, Йемена, Афганистана, Судана и Сомали,
пришлось менее 3% поставок.

На сайте Совета Европы приводятся следующие данные: по состоянию на июль 2023 года 57,4%
продукции в рамках зерновой сделки отправили в развивающиеся страны и 42,6% — в развитые
страны.

В 2022 году Евросоюз отменил пошлины на импорт с Украины. В январе 2023 года пять стран —
Венгрия, Польша, Румыния, Болгария и Словения — официально заявили о «серьезных трудностях»
из-за резкого роста поставок с Украины: из-за затоваренности рынка цены на сельхозпродукцию
начали падать, местные фермеры — терпеть убытки. В апреле эти страны самостоятельно
ограничили украинский агроимпорт, а в мае Еврокомиссия ввела общий запрет для них.

Комментируя обвинения Москвы в том, что большая часть украинского зерна попадала в Европу, в
Киеве поясняли: «Хотя 60% зерна, экспортируемого из Украины, проходит через европейские порты,
это «не означает, что Европа поглощает это зерно как конечный потребитель».

Text 35. Hawaii quits coal in bid to fight climate change (AP, *third-year students only)

HONOLULU (AP) — The last bits of ash and greenhouse gases from Hawaii’s only remaining coal-fired
power plant slipped into the environment this week when the state’s dirtiest source of electricity burned its
final pieces of fuel.
The last coal shipment arrived in the islands at the end of July, and the AES Corporation coal plant closed
Thursday after 30 years in operation. The facility produced up to one-fifth of the electricity on Oahu — the
most populous island in a state of nearly 1.5 million people.
“It really is about reducing greenhouse gases,” Hawaii Gov. David Ige said in an interview with The
Associated Press. “And this coal facility is one of the largest emitters. Taking it offline means that we’ll stop
the 1.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases that were emitted annually.”
Like other Pacific islands, the Hawaiian chain has suffered the cascading impacts of climate change. The
state is experiencing the destruction of coral reefs from bleaching associated with increased ocean
temperatures, rapid sea level rise, more intense storms and drought that is increasing the state’s wildfire risk.
In 2020, Hawaii’s Legislature passed a law banning the use of coal for energy production at the start of
2023. Hawaii has mandated a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2045, and was the first state to set
such a goal.
But critics say that while ending the state’s dirtiest source of energy is ultimately a good move, doing so now
is not. Renewable sources meant to replace coal energy are not yet on line because of permitting delays,
contract issues and pandemic-related supply-chain problems. So the state will instead burn more costly oil
that is only slightly less polluting than coal.
“If you are a believer that climate change is going to end because we shut down this coal plant, this is a great
day for you,” said Democratic state Sen. Glenn Wakai, chair of the Committee on Economic Development,
Tourism and Technology. “But if you pay an electricity bill, this is a disastrous day for you.”
The end of coal and the additional cost of oil will translate to an increase in electricity bills for consumers
who already face the nation’s highest energy and living costs. Hawaiian Electric Company had projected
ratepayers would see a 7% spike in their bills, but Thursday revised that to 4% because of a drop in oil
prices.
“What we’re doing ... is transitioning from the cheapest fossil fuel to the most expensive fossil fuel,” Wakai
said. “And we’re going to be subjected to geopolitical issues on pricing for oil as well as access to oil.”
The AES coal plant closure means Hawaii joins 10 other states with no major coal-fired power facilities,
according to data from Global Energy Monitor, a nonprofit advocating for a global transition to clean
energy. Rhode Island and Vermont never had any coal-fired power plants.
While Hawaii is the first state to fully implement a ban on coal, a handful of others previously passed laws.
The 2015 law in Oregon, the first state to pass a ban, isn’t effective until 2035. Washington state’s 2020 coal
ban starts in 2025. California, Maine and Texas are among states that have restricted construction of new
coal-fired plants.
The number of coal-burning units in the United States peaked in 2001 at about 1,100. More than half have
stopped operating since then, with most switching to more cost-effective natural gas.
U.S. Energy Information Administration data shows oil generated about two-thirds of Hawaii’s electricity in
2021. That makes Hawaii the most petroleum-dependent state, even as it tries to make a rapid transition to
renewables.
Hawaii already gets about 40% of its power from sustainable sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric
and geothermal.
State Sen. Kurt Fevella, a Republican and the Senate Minority Leader, suggested that Hawaiian Electric
Company and other energy corporations should absorb the additional cost of shifting to renewables.
“The fact that Hawaii’s families are already doing what is necessary to reduce their energy uses while still
paying the most in the nation for household electricity is unsustainable,” said Fevella. “While I believe
utility companies like HECO can do more to reduce the energy burden passed on to Hawaii’s ratepayers, I
also believe developers of renewal energy projects should also bear a greater portion of the transmission
costs.”
Hawaiian Electric Company, the primary distributor of electricity for the state, said it can do little to change
the prices to consumers.
“We’re a regulated monopoly,” said Vice President of Government and Community Relations and Corporate
Communications Jim Kelly. ”So we don’t set the prices. We don’t make any money on the fuels that we use
to generate electricity.”
AES, the operator of Hawaii’s last coal plant, has transitioned to creating clean energy and is working on
large solar farms across the state, including one in West Oahu that will replace some lost coal energy when
completed next year.
“Renewables are getting cheaper by the day,” said Leonardo Moreno, president of AES Corporation’s clean
energy division. “I envision a future where energy is very, very cheap, abundant and renewable.”
Sustainable energy experts say getting rid of coal is critical in curbing climate change. While the current
renewable landscape is not perfect, they say technologies are improving.
“This is the decade of climate action that we really need to be moving on right now,” said Makena Coffman,
University of Hawaii professor and director for the Institute for Sustainability and Resilience. “And so these
are available technologies and they might get incrementally better, but let’s not wait 10 years to do it.”
Profits from the increased electricity costs to Hawaii consumers will go mostly to overseas oil producers,
said Hawaii’s Chief Energy Officer Scott Glenn.
Hawaii’s petroleum is distributed by Par Pacific, a Houston-based company which has traditionally sourced
the state’s oil from Libya and Russia. But after the invasion of Ukraine, Hawaii halted oil shipments from
Russia and replaced it with products from Argentina.
Extending the coal plant’s operation would be complicated and costly, Glenn said, noting that the plant has
been planning decommissioning for years and would now have to buy coal at market price.
“Coal is going up. It’s getting more expensive,” he said of the supply Hawaii gets from clearcut rainforests
in Indonesia. “If we were using U.S. coal, it would not be the cheapest energy source on the grid.”
Why would Hawaii, a small U.S. state in the middle of the Pacific, try to lead the way in moving to
sustainable energy?
“We are already feeling the effects of climate change,’” Glenn said. “It’s not fair or right to ask other nations
or states to act on our behalf if we are not willing and able to do it ourselves. If we don’t, we drown.”
Text 37. ООН раскритиковала Францию за запрет ношения абайи в школах (РИА
Новости)
ООН напомнила Франции о международном праве после запрета ношения абайи
ЖЕНЕВА, 29 авг – РИА Новости. ООН напомнила Франции в связи с ее решением запретить
ношение абайи в школе, что в соответствии с международным правом в области прав человека
ограничения на исповедание религии разрешены только в очень ограниченных обстоятельствах,
заявила на брифинге в Женеве представитель УВКПЧ Марта Уртадо.
В воскресенье назначенный в июле министром образования Габриель Атталь заявил, что принял
решение запретить ношение абайи в школах, отметив, что обсудит эту меру с руководителями
образовательных учреждений на этой неделе.
"Однако, касаясь этой темы (запрет на ношение абайи – ред.), стоит напомнить, что в соответствии с
международными стандартами в области прав человека ограничения на проявления религии или
убеждений, включая выбор одежды, допускаются только в очень ограниченных обстоятельствах -
включая общественную безопасность, общественный порядок, здоровье или нравственность
населения. Кроме того, в соответствии с международным правом в области прав человека, меры,
принимаемые во имя общественного порядка, должны быть уместными, необходимыми и
соразмерными", - ответила Уртадо на вопросы журналистов.
Она добавила, что ООН пока не в состоянии подробно комментировать это решение, учитывая, что
не ясны конкретные планы и как они будут реализованы.
"Еще один момент заключается в том, что достижение гендерного равенства требует понимания
барьеров, которые мешают женщинам и девочкам делать свободный выбор, и создания среды,
которая поддерживает их собственное принятие решений, включая, но не ограничиваясь этим, выбор
одежды", - подчеркнула представитель УВКПЧ.
На прошлой неделе в министерстве образования Франции сообщили, что получили рекордное
количество сообщений о нарушении секуляризма в школах. В учебном году 2022-2023 министерство
получило 4710 жалоб, что на 120% больше, чем годом ранее. В особенности это касается ношения
религиозной одежды – абайи среди девушек и камиса среди юношей, которое выросло на 150%.
Нарушения затрагивают порядка 150 школьных учреждений во Франции.
В министерстве отметили обеспокоенность тем, что принятый еще в 2004 году закон, запрещающий
ношение одежды и символов религиозной принадлежности, "несовместимых с принципом
секуляризма в школах", не соблюдается. Мера распространяется на кипы и хиджабы, однако абайя
среди них прежде не значилась.
Text 38. France to ban the wearing of abayas in schools, fueling accusations of
Islamophobia (CNN)

France will ban schoolchildren from wearing abayas ahead of the upcoming academic year, the
government has said, the latest in a series of contentious restrictions in the country on clothing
associated with Muslims.

French Education Minister Gabriel Attal said the long, robe-like garments often worn by Muslim
women wouldn’t be permitted in the nation’s schools from the new term, which starts in September.

“Schools of the Republic are built on very strong values and principles, especially laïcité,” he told TV
network TF1 on Sunday, using a French term referring to the separation of state institutions and
religions, but which some argue has been hijacked to justify anti-Islam positions.

“For me, laïcité, when put in the framework of a school, is very clear: you enter a classroom and you
must not be able to identify the religious identity of students just by looking at them,” Attal said.

But the move was criticized by a number of opposition lawmakers. Danièle Obono, a prominent
opposition politician, attacked the move as a “new Islamophobic campaign” on X, formerly known as
Twitter.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a far-left firebrand, who placed third in France’s 2022 presidential
election, described his “sadness to see the return to school politically polarized by a new absurd
entirely artificial religious war about a woman’s dress.”

“When will there be civil peace and true secularism that unites instead of exasperating?” Mélenchon
asked.
France has pursued a series of controversial bans and restrictions on items of customarily Islamic
dress in recent years, which have frequently drawn the ire of Muslim countries and international
agencies.

Last year lawmakers backed a ban on wearing the hijab and other “conspicuous religious symbols” in
sports competitions. The amendment was proposed by the right-wing Les Républicains party, which
argued the hijab could risk the safety of athletes wearing it while playing sports.

France’s earlier ban on the niqab – full-face veils worn by some Muslim women – violated the human
rights of those who wore it, the United Nations Human Rights Committee said in 2018.

“This type of policy stands in opposition to the liberal core of the 1905 Law on Separation of Church
& State – a law we’ve been distorting and weaponizing since the ’90s,” Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French
legal scholar and commentator, wrote of the latest abaya ban on X.

“Such policies fuel the nation’s fractures,” she added.

Attal was asked on TF1 whether guidelines on hijabs would be enforced in schools, but refrained from
commenting on those garments, and instead continued to discuss abayas.

“During my meetings with (the school heads) this summer, I sensed their need for a clear rule on the
national level on the issue of abayas, so the rule is now here,” the education minister said.

Text 39. ‘Nothing left': Future unclear for Hawaii residents who lost it all in fire (AP)
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — Retired mailman and Vietnam veteran Thomas Leonard lived in the historic
former capital of Hawaii for 44 years until this week, when a rapidly moving wildfire burned down his
apartment, melted his Jeep and forced him to spend four terrifying hours hiding from the flames behind a
seawall.

“I’ve got nothing left,” Leonard said Thursday as he sat on an inflatable mattress outside a shelter for those
who fled the blaze that decimated the town of Lahaina. “I’m a disabled vet, so now I’m a homeless vet,” he
added with a small laugh.

The fire that tore across the coastal Maui town and caught many by surprise has already claimed dozens of
lives — a toll expected to climb — and burned more than 1,000 buildings. It has turned a centuries-old
hamlet beloved by travelers and locals alike into a charred, desolate landscape.

The devastation has resonated worldwide in part because tourists from around the globe flock to Maui to
enjoy its white sand beaches, including many who stop to visit the old whaling village and capital of the
former Hawaiian kingdom. Thousands fled Maui after the fires rousted them from their resort hotels and
sent them scrambling from their sun chairs on Tuesday. But for thousands of people who call Lahaina home,
there is no flight to catch and no home to return to. They’ve simply lost everything.

Fast-moving Hawaii fires will take a heavy toll on the state’s environment

On Front Street, Lahaina’s main thoroughfare, Deborah Leoffler lost a home that has been in her family
since 1945. Five generations stayed there, starting with her grandfather, who was a Lahaina police sergeant.
Her youngest son had been planning to move home from the mainland to live there.

She evacuated so quickly she left her debit cards on her nightstand and now can’t access her bank account.

“But I still have my family, and that’s what counts,” she said.
Myrna Ah Hee’s home is in one of the few subdivisions in Lahaina spared destruction. But she and her
husband, Abraham, haven’t been able to find his brother, a Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress
disorder who has been living in Lahaina’s homeless shelter.

The Ah Hees spent Thursday scouring evacuation shelters across the island from Lahaina to see if he might
have made it out.

Her extended family was hit badly: Her parents lost their home, as did her son, one of her uncles and a
cousin. Her son-in-law was staying in a house that had long been in her husband’s family, but that burned
down too.

She said those born and raised in Lahaina like her and her husband have to “stand up and make it what it
was.”

“Where do you begin?” she asked rhetorically. “It’s town we have to bring back — but also families,
classmates, friends.”

Leonard, the retired mailman, said he didn’t know about the fire until he smelled smoke from his apartment
on Front Street and went outside to investigate. He had been in an information vacuum all day after the
power had gone out early Tuesday morning, leaving him and neighbors without electricity, internet and
cellphone service. The county’s emergency sirens — which warn people of the need to evacuate for
tsunamis and other natural disasters — didn’t sound.

He grabbed his wallet, keys and credit cards and jumped in his car to leave, only to find a traffic jam. He
waited, in hopes the line of vehicles would move, until the cars ahead of him started exploding one by one.

“My Jeep had a soft top, and I knew it was going to go. And I just said, ‘I’m out of here,’” Leonard recalled.

The 74-year-old ran over to the seawall that shields the town from encroachment from the ocean, joining
about 70 others. About 20 of them jumped in the water to get away from the flames. Leonard said he felt
safter crouched down next the wall on the ocean side, where he could let the wind carry hot ash over him.

Even so, cinder seared holes in his shorts and shirt, and he suffered burns on his legs.

“There were flames coming and sparks everywhere,” he said.

One person at the seawall flashed S.O.S. out to the ocean, which Leonard said alerted the Coast Guard. The
Coast Guard contacted Maui firefighters, who then escorted the group on foot through the flames to a
supermarket parking lot at about 9:30 p.m.

A propane tank exploded down the block not long after they passed.

“It was just like, boom, a gigantic mushroom at that house,” he said.

As Gov. Josh Green put it in an interview with The Associated Press: “Lahaina, with a few rare exceptions,
has been burned down.”

Leonard isn’t sure what he’ll do next. The pharmacy at the evacuation shelter has contacted the Department
of Veterans Affairs to help him get his prescriptions. He’s thinking how he’ll have to contact his
homeowner’s and car insurance providers. And get in touch with his friends and family. They don’t know
where he is — but he’s registered with the Red Cross so they can find him.

Still, he doesn’t know if he will will go back to Lahaina, especially given how long it will probably take to
rebuild.
“I have no idea where I’m going to go,” he said.

Text 40. Среди жертв пожара на острове Мауи в штате Гавайи может быть много
детей (M24)

Власти гавайского острова Мауи, серьезно пострадавшего от лесных пожаров, опасаются, что среди
жертв стихийного бедствия больше всего окажется детей. Об этом сообщил губернатор штата Гавайи
Джош Грин в интервью телеканалу CBS.
По его словам, среди пропавших без вести много детей, поскольку в момент ЧП школы были
закрыты из-за отключения электроэнергии, вызванного сильным ветром, и дети находились дома. Он
отметил, что родителям было сложно добраться до них из-за пробок или перекрытых дорог.

Грин заявил, что речь идет о крупнейшей катастрофе, которая когда-либо случалась на Мауи. Он
призвал мир поддерживать пострадавший штат всеми возможными способами.

Лесной пожар начался на гавайском острове Мауи 9 августа. Из-за сильного ветра огонь быстро
распространился на туристический городок Лахайна, который в результате полностью сгорел.

По предварительным данным, в результате пожаров на Гавайях погибли не менее 106 человек. Еще
850 числятся пропавшими без вести. Член Законодательного собрания американского штата Гавайи
Эль Кокран отмечает, что итоговое число погибших может достигнуть "как минимум нескольких
сотен человек".
Президент США намеревался посетить Гавайи, чтобы на месте ознакомиться с последствиями
лесных пожаров. Однако визит до сих пор не состоялся. Одновременно с этим конгрессвумен
Марджори Тейлор Грин обвинила президента США в поддержке Украины, а не пострадавших на
Гавайях.
По словам местных властей, возгорание стало "самым смертоносным в США за последние 100 лет".
Как утверждает Грин, в Лахайне было разрушено около 2,2 тысячи зданий. Ущерб от пожаров на
гавайском острове Мауи составил порядка 6 миллиардов долларов.

Text 41. Judge Chutkan to hear arguments in protective order fight in Trump’s 2020 election
conspiracy case (AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the 2020 election conspiracy case against Donald
Trump will hear arguments Friday over a request by prosecutors for a protective order seeking to bar the
former president from publicly disclosing evidence shared by the government.

The protective order sought by special counsel Jack Smith’s team has become an early flashpoint in the case
accusing the Republican of illegally scheming to subvert the will of voters and cling to power after he lost to
Democrat Joe Biden.

Protective orders aren’t unusual in criminal cases, and they’re different from “gag orders” that bar parties
from talking publicly about an ongoing case outside the courtroom. But lawyers for Trump — who has
railed against prosecutors and U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on social media and during campaign
events — say the proposed protective order goes too far and would restrict Trump’s free speech rights.

In seeking the protective order, prosecutors pointed to a post on Trump’s Truth Social social media platform
in which the former president promised he would be “coming after” those who “go after” him. Prosecutors
expressed concern that Trump might share secret grand jury information that could have a “harmful chilling
effect on witnesses.”

Text 42. Трампу предъявили обвинение по делу о штурме Капитолия (Ведомости)

Бывшему президенту США Дональду Трампу предъявлено обвинение по делу о штурме Капитолия в
январе 2021 г. Об этом со ссылкой на спецпрокурора Джейка Смита и обвинительное
заключение сообщает The New York Times.

Всего Трампу предъявлено обвинение по четырем пунктам. Первый касается заговора с целью
обмана Соединенных Штатов. Два обвинения связаны с процедурой подтверждения результатов
голосования в Капитолии 6 января 2021 г. – бывшего президента США обвиняют в препятствовании
этому процессу и в сговоре с этой целью. Также он обвиняется в заговоре с целью нарушения
гражданских прав – это обвинение связано с попытками отменить результаты выборов в Штатах в
2020 г.

Газета отмечает, что обвинения Трампу предъявлены в «экстраординарный момент» в истории

страны – в разгар его кампании по возвращению в Белый дом. Ему, по сути, предъявлены обвинения
«в попытках использовать рычаги государственной власти для подрыва демократии и остаться на
своем посту против воли избирателей», заявляет NYT. Сам Трамп заявил, что предъявленные
обвинения являются попыткой вмешательства в выборы в 2024 г.

В обвинительном заключении также фигурируют шесть сообщников Трампа, имена которых не

называются, но описание их действий позволяет сделать вывод об участии ряда значимых людей из
окружения бывшего президента. В документе говорится, что заявления Трампа о мошенничестве на
выборах были ложными и он знал об этом. В сообщении перед журналистами Смит возложил
ответственность за события в Капитолии на Трампа, добавив, что беспорядки были спровоцированы
его ложью.

Трамп должен в четверг явиться по этому делу в Федеральный суд в Вашингтоне. Дело будет
рассматривать судья Таня Чаткан, которая ранее вела дела о беспорядках 6 января 2021 г.

9 июля Трампу предъявили обвинения по 37 пунктам в рамках дела о незаконном хранении

секретных документов. Позже, 28 июля, ему предъявили новые обвинения, связанные с удержанием
секретных документов. Однако Трамп заявил, что продолжит борьбу за президентский пост, даже
если его признают виновным по ряду уголовных дел.

6 января 2021 г. сторонники Трампа собрались на демонстрацию в его поддержку в Вашингтоне. Они
штурмовали здание конгресса США и прервали заседание, на котором должны были быть
утверждены итоги прошедших в стране выборов. В ходе столкновений с полицией погибли пять
человек. После штурма Капитолия демократы в конгрессе обвинили Трампа в подстрекательстве к
мятежу и потребовали его импичмента. Сам Трамп осудил произошедшее. По его словам, нельзя
мириться с политическим насилием.

Text 43. В Нигере прошла демонстрация против присутствия французских

военных (РИА Новости)
В Нигере 20 тыс человек вышли на демонстрацию против присутствия военных Франции
МОСКВА, 28 авг — РИА Новости. Около двадцати тысяч жителей Нигера вышли на демонстрацию
с требованием вывести французских военнослужащих с территории страны, сообщила
радиостанция RFI.
"Также около двадцати тысяч человек в субботу провели митинг на стадионе имени Сейни Кунче в
поддержку новых военных правителей страны и с требованием вывести французских военных", —
говорится в публикации.
По данным радиостанции, на выходных тысячи демонстрантов собрались у военной базы
французских сил в Ниамей. В воскресенье с рассвета жители Нигера участвовали в акции возле
столичного аэропорта.
В пятницу МИД Нигера решил лишить агремана посла Франции Сильвена Итте и попросил его
покинуть страну в течение 48 часов. В Париже заявили, что приняли просьбу к сведению, отметив,
что у мятежников нет соответствующих полномочий.
В конце июля военные в Нигере объявили по национальному телевидению об отстранении от власти
президента Мохамеда Базума. Лидеры большинства западных стран и ЭКОВАС осудили переворот. В
начале августа последняя приняла план на случай военной интервенции в Нигер.

Text 44. Paris says NON to e-scooters: French capital becomes first city in the world to
ban self-hire vehicles in a referendum after string of crashes and deaths across Europe
(MAILONLINE)
Paris has become the first city in the world to vote to ban self-hire electric scooters after a series of fatal
crashes across Europe.

In a move set to be studied with interest in the UK, the French capital rejected the controversial scooters by a
90 per cent majority in a referendum on Sunday.

It comes after a number of crashes involving the vehicles in recent years, with Paris and other European cities
including London also complaining about dumping.
Following widespread opposition, City Hall organised the poll asking the question: 'Do we or don't we
continue with free-floating rental scooters?'

But shortly after 10pm on Sunday, a Ville de Paris spokesman said 'the no vote won with 90 per cent of the
vote'.

Three companies – Lime, Tier and Dott – run scooter services in Paris, but they will now have to stop
business.

They had advertised the vehicles as an effective, non-polluting alternative to public transport.

According to a study commissioned by City Hall in May, 71 per cent of regular users of the scooters are under
the age of 35 and nearly a third are students.

Few bothered with helmets or insurance, and many of the accidents they were involved in went unreported.

The scooters' maximum speed was reduced to about 12mph and specific parking spaces were created.

Paris also introduced an equivalent fine of around £110 for riders who used pavements, or who illegally
carried a passenger.

Despite this, in 2022 police reported more than 400 accidents, with 459 people badly injured.

This was in a year when Paris recorded about 20million trips on the scooters - making it one of the largest
markets in the world.

Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, said she favoured a ban but wanted the people of the city to decide.

Lime had even offered ten-minute free rides to clients who registered to vote in the referendum.

This led to deputy mayor David Belliard accusing Lime of trying to 'buy voters, which is frankly not nice.'

In turn, Lime said it was not a political vote and not subject to normal election rules.

Despite a very low turnout on Sunday - less than 5 per cent cast a vote - the result is now binding.
Text 45. Paris is about to become one of the only cities to ban e-scooter rentals (CNBC)
Paris will this week become one of the only cities in Europe with an outright ban on rented e-scooters — as
operators plan to ramp up their e-bike fleets to replace them ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
Despite previously expressing hopes for a last-minute reprieve, the three firms with e-scooter operating
licenses in the French capital, Lime, Dott and Tier, all confirmed to CNBC that they will have removed their
scooters, or trottinettes, by the Sept. 1 deadline.
They had a combined fleet of roughly 15,000 e-scooters in the city.
A referendum held in April gave Parisians two choices regarding the rental scooters: for or against.
Companies pointed out that the turnout represented just 7% of those eligible to vote. They also argued the
city would fall out of step with other urban hubs embracing an eco-friendly mode of transport that is popular
with tourists in one of the most-visited cities in the world. They point out there will be no change to private
e-scooter usage rules.
But the result was emphatic among those who did vote, with 90% against the trottinettes.
It comes as cities around the world debate whether such vehicles, which are unlocked via an app and paid
for by the minute, are a dangerous public nuisance or part of the future of urban mobility.
Shared scooters are still present in other French cities, including Marseille and Lyon.
Many cities have introduced restrictions on scooters, such as speed limits and parking zones enforced via
fines for users. Some allow them to be ridden on pavements and in bike lanes, others do not. However,
outright bans by cities that have previously welcomed them are rare.
In Europe, Madrid this year reversed a prior ban to allow rental firms back with new conditions, as
Copenhagen also did in 2021. Most e-scooters are banned on public roads in the bike-loving Netherlands,
and no ride-sharing companies have entered the market.
Tourist hotspots New Orleans and Las Vegas both have ride-share e-scooter bans, but they remain in 158
other U.S. cities.
E-bike expansion

Lime, Dott and Tier all said they would now shift their focus to growing their provision of e-bikes in Paris
after moving their scooters elsewhere.
“While Lime e-scooters will depart Paris by the end of August for other cities in Europe, Parisian riders are
already pivoting to our expanding fleet of e-bikes,” a Lime spokesperson told CNBC.
“We now operate twice the number of e-bikes than we ever did e-scooters, and are encouraged by the city’s
continued support for cycling ahead of the 2024 Olympics.”
Lime’s Paris scooter fleet totaled around 5,000, versus around 10,000 bikes. The company said journeys
taken on its bikes increased by 73% in the capital last year.
Dott said it was sending its scooters to places where it has signed new tenders, including Bordeaux and
across Belgium. A spokesperson said the company was increasing its e-bike fleet, which it hopes to expand
into the Paris suburbs ahead of the Olympics, which are due to begin in July next year.
E-bikes are not uncontroversial themselves. Critics say that they clutter pavements and roads when not
stored properly; are sometimes used on pavements despite their significant speed abilities; and are also often
used by tourists or commuters without helmets.
Valère Rousseau, a Parisian working in the heritage sector, said he thought the public was more accepting of
e-bikes as a useful mode of travel.
“E-scooters are different. They are very appreciated by young people but disliked by Parisians because
parking is still an issue and it remains dangerous — no helmet, sometimes on the pavement,” he told CNBC.
Reducing car congestion and making the city fully bike-accessible have been some of Paris Mayor Anne
Hidalgo’s key priorities.
In 2022, she announced plans to ban most cars from several central areas, with road access only for
pedestrians, bicycles, public transport and certain permitted cars.
That follows the pedestrianization of areas including large sections of the banks of the River Seine, while
bikes have been given priority and most cars banned along the central commercial Rue de Rivoli.

Text 46. Первый европейский город полностью запретил электросамокаты (РИА

Новости)
Париж с 1 сентября первым в Европе запретит электросамокаты
МОСКВА, 27 авг — РИА Новости. В Париже с 1 сентября полностью запрещается использование
электросамокатов, передает RTBF.
"Париж действительно взял на себя обязательство не продлевать контракты <...> Таким образом,
французский город становится первой европейской столицей, запретившей использование этих
двухколесных транспортных средств", — говорится в статье.
Это решение было принято по результатам проведенного мэрией опроса. Так, 89 процентов
респондентов из 103 084 парижан, принявших участие в голосовании, проголосовали за запрет.
Больше всего горожан не устраивает небезопасное вождение и то, что электросамокаты зачастую
оставляют в неположенных местах.

Text 47. Париж первым в Европе запретит в городе электросамокаты (Интерфакс)

Москва. 27 августа. INTERFAX.RU - С 1 сентября в Париже будет невозможно арендовать

электрические самокаты, сообщает в воскресенье телеканал RTBF.

По данным канала, мэрия города не намерена возобновлять контракты с тремя частными

операторами, развернувшими парк этих транспортных средств в Париже, который станет первой
европейской столицей, запретившей услугу по предоставлению электросамокатов населению.

Поставщики этой услуги должны убрать с парижских улиц самокаты, которыми можно пользоваться
до конца августа.

Это решение основано на итогах городского референдума по вопросу использования

электросамокатов. В голосовании приняли участие более 100 тыс. парижан. За запрет высказались
89% участвовавших в референдуме 2 апреля.

Причиной проведения такого голосования стали проблемы, создаваемые разбросанными как попало
по всему городу самокатами, но особенно беспокойство о безопасности их пользователей.

RTBF отмечает критику этого референдума соответствующими компаниями, которые, прежде всего,
указывают на низкую явку - 7,46%. "Явка могла бы быть более активной и представительной, если
бы методы голосования были иными: больше избирательных участков, электронное голосование,
муниципальная информация", - написали три частных компании-оператора в совместном
коммюнике.

В 2022 году в Париже было зафиксировано около 400 тыс. поездок на электросамокатах, сообщил
телеканал.

Text 48. В Совфеде предложили полностью запретить электросамокаты в городе

(Известия)
Сенатор Елена Афанасьева поддержала решение властей Парижа, запретивших использование
электросамокатов в городе с 1 сентября. Своим мнением она поделилась в воскресенье, 27 августа, в
своем Telegram-канале.

Ранее в этот день стало известно, что в Париже с 1 сентября полностью запрещается использование
электросамокатов.

«Правильное решение! Полагаю, что Россия должна идти по этому пути», — написала Афанасьева.

По ее мнению, «полный запрет использования электросамокатов в городе спасет здоровье и жизни»

многих людей, а «некоторых убережет от тюрьмы».

Как сообщил в воскресенье телеканал RTBF, в столице Франции с 1 сентября будет невозможно
арендовать электрические самокаты. Отмечалось, что мэрия не будет продлевать контракты с тремя
частными операторами, которые владеют парком этих транспортных средств в Париже. Поставщики
сами должны будут убрать с улиц города самокаты, которыми можно пользоваться до конца августа.
Решение основано на итогах городского референдума 2 апреля, в котором приняли участие более 100
тыс. парижан. За запрет высказались 89% голосовавших.

Ранее, в июле, в МВД РФ рассказали «Известиям», что растущее число ДТП с электросамокатами и
другими средствами индивидуальной мобильности вызвано увеличивающимся количеством
пользователей такого транспорта. Отмечалось, что с 2021 года количество ДТП с самокатами
выросло на 50–60%.

Text 49. Israel’s foreign minister meets with Libyan counterpart in sign of burgeoning
ties (Politico,*third-year students only)
It was a small breakthrough in a volatile region of the Middle East.
JERUSALEM — The Israeli and Libyan foreign ministers met secretly in Italy last week, Israel’s Foreign
Ministry announced Sunday, in what it said was the first-ever meeting between the country’s top diplomats.
The meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Najla Mangoush, foreign minister of the
Tripoli-based government, marked a small breakthrough for Israel’s government, whose hard-line policies
toward the Palestinians have led to a cooling of its burgeoning ties with the Arab world.
“I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for relations between the two countries,” Cohen
said in a statement. He said the meeting was hosted by Italy’s foreign minister in Rome.
Cohen said he discussed the importance of preserving the heritage of Libya’s former Jewish community,
including renovating synagogues and cemeteries. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said talks also touched on
possible Israeli assistance for humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management.
A Libyan government official said normalization of relations between the countries was first discussed in a
meeting between the Tripoli-based prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and CIA Director William Burns,
who visited the Libyan capital in January.
According to the official, Burns proposed that Dbeibah’s government, which is recognized as Libya’s
internationally backed government, join the group of four Arab countries that normalized relations with
Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
The Libyan premier gave an initial approval, but he was concerned about public backlash in a country
known for its past support for the Palestinian cause, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
The late Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi, was hostile to Israel and a staunch supporter of the Palestinians,
including radical militant groups opposed to peace with Israel.
Libya was plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled Gadhafi, who was later
killed, and left the country divided between rival governments in Benghazi in the east and Tripoli in the
west. The United Nations has been struggling to shepherd the country toward new elections.
Dbeibah is close to Italy and the West.
Then-President Donald Trump brokered the Abraham Accords. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has been eager to expand ties with the Arab world, but his government has come under heavy criticism due
to its support for West Bank settlement construction and ongoing military raids on suspected militant
strongholds in the occupied territory.

Text 50. What Gas Crisis? Europe’s Best Friend Is Also Its Worst Enemy (Bloomberg)
High prices do solve high prices. But always there’s a cost.

In the doldrums of August, the European natural gas market has perked back to life. The risk of strikes in
Australia, the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), was enough to send prices up 50% at
one point. Coming weeks before the Oct. 1 start of the heating season, the price jump certainly is
concerning. However, don’t panic yet.

First, the risk was merely that — a risk. Wage negotiations are progressing, and the disruption will probably
be avoided. As the danger has receded, so have prices. But, more importantly, Europe has an even stronger
ally to keep gas prices under check heading into the colder months: extremely weak demand.

The manufacturing crisis that’s plaguing the continent — industrial activity in Germany has contracted for
14 consecutive months — is the best antidote against a gas supply squeeze. With friends like that, who needs
enemies?

Europe is defeating its energy crisis thanks to the impact that said crisis has had on its industrial heartland.
Across the continent, many energy-intensive companies have either closed or reduced production after not
being able to cope with higher energy prices. The fertilizer, chemical, metallurgic, glass, paper and ceramic
industries are particularly affected. All those shuttered factories don’t need gas or electricity now.

In Germany, activity among energy-intensive companies plunged in June by nearly 18% versus late 2020,
according to official data. During the same month, industrial gas demand also declined 18% compared with
a year ago. In July, gas demand posted an even deeper plunge, falling 22.9% from a year earlier, the largest
decline so far in 2023. When official industrial production data is released for July in a few weeks, that drop
in energy needs points to a further deterioration in industrial activity.

The picture is similar across the rest of the continent. True, some of the drop in industrial gas consumption
responds to energy-efficiency measures rather than demand destruction. But some of the reduction is also
due to switching to more polluting fuel such as oil and coal. Gas demand in the electricity sector has been
weak this summer too, as cool, breezy weather in most of northwest Europe has reduced the need for air
conditioning, while wind generation has been strong at the same time.

Due to anemic manufacturing activity and lower-than-expected gas-burn in the electricity sector, Morgan
Stanley reckons that total gas demand in Europe is running about 15% below the five-year average, even
when adjusted by the impact of the weather. With consumption low and LNG supply so far plentiful, Europe
has been able to inject a record amount of gas into underground storage over the spring and summer —
despite most countries in the region no longer having access to Russian pipeline gas supply.

European gas stocks are nearly 92% full — a record high for this time of the year. If the current injection
pace continues, inventories would reach 100% by mid-September. So even if the Australian LNG strikes go
ahead, Europe is likely to reach tank tops by late October or early November, compared with a 2010-2019
average of 91% for that time of the year. The extra buffer should calm the market.
And yet, it would be of little solace for the continent’s industrialists. Currently, European gas prices are
running at about €35 ($38) per megawatt hour, compared with the 2010-2020 average of just over €20.
Wholesale electricity prices are running above €140 per megawatt hour, more than triple the 2010-2020
average of €38.5.

The problem for the industry isn’t just that current prices are way higher than before Russia invaded
Ukraine. The real problem is that companies know that any supply issue, real or perceived, would trigger a
price rally, because even with nearly full stockpiles, Europe needs all the gas it can grab to make it through
the winter. The manufacturing sector remains the go-to segment of consumption to find extra demand
destruction. Hence, why so many chief executive officers are reluctant to bring back production capacity,
fearing reactivating a plant only to get caught again by higher prices.

The supply-and-demand gas balance in Europe remains precarious. Only extremely weak industrial demand
balances the system. Plentiful inventories help, but even with those, Europe wouldn’t make it through the
winter if all the industrial gas demand returned to pre-crisis levels. As such, the price of avoiding the energy
crisis is a deep recession in the manufacturing sector, and a long-term loss of economic growth. An analysis
published by the International Monetary Fund last month says Germany is likely to lose just over 1% of
potential output.

High prices do solve high prices. But always there’s a cost.

Text 51. Европа нашла неожиданное спасение от газового кризиса (РИА Новости)
МОСКВА, 30 авг — РИА Новости. Кризис промышленного производства стал "сильным
союзником" Европы в вопросе удержания цен на газ в преддверии холодов, пишет
обозреватель Bloomberg Хавьер Блас.
"Охвативший континент производственный кризис (промышленная активность
в Германии снижается 14 месяцев подряд) — это лучший антидот от дефицита газа. С такими
друзьями кому нужны враги?" — отмечает автор.

По его словам, Европа "побеждает" энергетический кризис благодаря его воздействию на ее

промышленный эпицентр: на всем континенте энергоемкие компании, будучи не в состоянии
справиться с ростом цен на энергоресурсы, либо закрываются, либо сокращают производство.
Как указывает Блас, банк Morgan Stanley прогнозирует, что совокупный объем спроса на газ в Европе
будет на 15 процентов ниже среднего показателя за пять лет.
"Расплачиваться за уход от энергетического кризиса придется мощным спадом в производственном
секторе и долговременной утратой экономического роста. Высокие цены решают проблему высоких
цен. Но за это всегда приходится расплачиваться", — резюмирует обозреватель.
В понедельник цены на газ в Европе выросли на восемь процентов, до 420 долларов за тысячу
кубометров. Драйвером роста эксперты называли спад экспорта трубопроводного газа из Норвегии и
опасения участников рынка касательно сбоев поставок сжиженного природного газа (СПГ)
из Австралии из-за возможных забастовок на крупных СПГ-предприятиях. По итогам вторника цены
снизились почти на десять процентов, до 387 долларов за тысячу кубометров.

Text 52. Британский парламент признал Китай угрозой для королевства (РИА
Новости)
Британский парламент в докладе назвал КНР угрозой для Лондона и его интересов
МОСКВА, 30 авг - РИА Новости. Китай является угрозой для Великобритании и интересов
Лондона в Индо-Тихоокеанском регионе, а политика КНР по отношению к Британии характеризуется
"повышенной агрессией", следует из доклада британского комитета палаты общин по иностранным
делам.
"Комитет признает деятельность Коммунистической партии Китая угрозой Соединенному
Королевству и его интересам. Повышенная напористость присуща конкуренции между нациями,
однако поведение Коммунистической партии Китая в настоящее время характеризуется повышенной
агрессией по отношению к Великобритании", - говорится в докладе.
Кроме того, в документе содержится рекомендация Лондону развивать "дипломатию сдерживания",
укрепляя с союзниками политику, ориентированную на оборону, в том числе для "защиты" Тайваня.
"Правительство Великобритании должно определить значимые действия и красные линии, которые
позволят ему формировать и проводить эффективную политику дипломатии сдерживания, чтобы
способствовать защите права народа Тайваня на самоопределение", - отмечается в докладе.
Парламентарии поддержали сохранение приоритетности отношений Великобритании со странами
Индо-Тихоокеанского региона, а также расширение с ними торговых и инвестиционных связей,
отметив, что это "принесет пользу экономике Великобритании и нашим партнерам по всему миру".
Ранее в МИД КНР сообщили, что министр иностранных дел Великобритании Джеймс Клеверли 30
августа посетит Китай с официальным визитом. Это станет первым более чем за пять лет визитом
главы британского МИД в КНР.
В начале июня агентство Блумберг сообщало, что британский премьер-министр Риши
Сунак пытается скрыто восстановить отношения Великобритании с Китаем. По данным агентства,
некоторое время назад Сунак направил министра торговли в Гонконг, а его посланник там призвал
урегулировать дополнительные разногласия с Пекином за закрытыми дверями. Сам Сунак, по словам
лиц, знакомых с этим вопросом, вряд ли посетит Пекин до следующих всеобщих выборов в
Великобритании, которые состоятся в 2025 году.
Text 53. British approach to China risk 'completely inadequate', committee says
(Reuters)
Britain's approach to the national security threat posed by China is "completely inadequate", with too much
focus on short-term economics rather than long-term risks, a parliamentary committee said on Thursday.
China uses its extensive state intelligence service to target Britain and its interests "prolifically and
aggressively", the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) said, seeking to influence and penetrate every
aspect of the British economy.
From academia, which was a "rich feeding ground" for China to exert political sway, to an over-reliance on
Chinese technology, the government had placed too much emphasis on investment over potential security
harms, it said in a report.
"The government has been readily accepting Chinese money with few questions asked," Julian Lewis, the
ISC chair, told reporters.
"But without swift and decisive action, we are on a trajectory to the nightmare scenario where China steals
blueprints, sets standards and builds products, exerting political and economic influence at every step," he
said, adding it potentially posed "an existential threat to liberal democratic systems".
The Chinese embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has come under pressure from some lawmakers in his Conservative
Party to take a tougher stance with China, but he has tried to walk a difficult line saying the West should not
decouple from Beijing.
In response to the report, he said China posed "an epoch-defining challenge to the international order",
echoing Britain's recently updated blueprint for security and international policy, which stepped back from
describing China as a threat.
Sunak said the government had taken measures to reduce Britain’s reliance on Chinese technology and
prevent interference, but he wanted to have "open" and "constructive" relations with China.
"We are not complacent and we are keenly aware that there is more to do," he said in a statement.
The committee, which oversees the work of Britain’s intelligence community, said much of the impact
China had on British national security was overt, through takeovers, mergers, and its interaction with
academia and industry, but it overstepped the boundary.
It was critical of the British government, saying its focus was dominated by short-term threats, and said
ministers needed to ensure security concerns were not "constantly trumped by economic interest".
"We found that the level of resource dedicated to tackling the threat posed by China's 'whole of state'
approach has been completely inadequate, and the slow speed at which strategies and policies are developed
and implemented leaves a lot to be desired," the ISC said.
The warnings about China echo similar comments made by the heads of Britain's spy agencies in their rare
public interventions where they have cast China as the nation's top intelligence priority.
"The challenge of the rise of China absolutely raises huge questions for the future of the Western alliance,"
Ken McCallum, head of the domestic-focused Security Service agency known as MI5 told the ISC.

ADDITIONAL TEXTS FOR MORE ADVANCED GROUPS

Text 54. China Is Now the World’s Largest Economy. We Shouldn’t Be Shocked. (The National
Interest) (*third-year students only)

China has now displaced the U.S. to become the largest economy in the world. Measured by the more
refined yardstick that both the IMF and CIA now judge to be the single best metric for comparing
national economies, the IMF Report shows that China’s economy is one-sixth larger than America’s
($24.2 trillion versus the U.S.’s $20.8 trillion). Why can't we admit reality? What does this mean?

by Graham Allison Follow @GrahamTAllison on TwitterL

This week, the IMF presented its 2020 World Economic Outlook providing an overview of the global
economy and the challenges ahead. The most inconvenient fact in the Report is one Americans don’t
want to hear—and even when they read it, refuse to accept: China has now displaced the U.S. to become
the largest economy in the world. Measured by the more refined yardstick that both the IMF and CIA
now judge to be the single best metric for comparing national economies, the IMF Report shows
that China’s economy is one-sixth larger than America’s ($24.2 trillion versus the U.S.’s $20.8 trillion).

Despite this unambiguous statement from the two most authoritative sources, most of the mainstream
press—with the exception of The Economist—continue reporting that the U.S. economy is No. 1. So,
what’s going on?

Obviously, measuring the size of a nation’s economy is more complicated than it might appear. In
addition to collecting data, it requires selecting a proper yardstick. Traditionally, economists have used a
metric called MER (market exchange rates) to calculate GDP. The U.S. economy is taken as the baseline
—reflecting the fact that when this method was developed in the years after World War II, the U.S.
accounted for almost half of global GDP. For other nations’ economies, this method adds up all goods
and services produced by their economy in their own currency and then converts that total into U.S.
dollars at the current “market exchange rate.” For 2020, the value of all goods and services produced in
China is projected to be 102 trillion yuan. Converted to U.S. dollars at a market rate of 7 yuan to 1 dollar,
China will have an MER GDP of $14.6 trillion versus the U.S. GDP of $20.8 trillion.
But this comparison assumes that 7 yuan buy the same amount of goods in China as $1 does in the U.S.
And obviously, that’s not the case. To make this point easier to understand, The Economist Magazine
created the “Big Mac Index” from which the graph at the top of this piece is derived. As this index
shows, for 21 yuan, a Chinese consumer can buy an entire Big Mac in Beijing. If he converted those yuan
at the current exchange rate, he would have $3, which will only buy half a Big Mac in the U.S. In other
words, when buying most products from burgers and smartphones, to missiles and naval bases, the
Chinese get almost twice as much bang for each buck.

Recognizing this reality, over the past decade, the CIA and the IMF have developed a more appropriate
yardstick for comparing national economies, which is called PPP (purchasing power parity). As the IMF
Report explains, PPP “eliminates differences in price levels between economies” and thus compares
national economies in terms of how much each nation can buy with its own currency at the prices items
sell for there. While MER answers how much Chinese would get at American prices, PPP answers how
much Chinese do get at Chinese prices.

If the Chinese converted their yuan to dollars, bought Big Macs in the U.S., and took them home on the
plane to China to consume them, comparing the Chinese and U.S. economies using the MER yardstick
would be appropriate. But instead, they buy them at one of the 3300 McDonald’s locations in their home
country where they cost half what Americans pay.

Explaining its decision to switch from MER to PPP in its annual assessment of national economies—
which is available online in the CIA Factbook—the CIA noted that “GDP at the official exchange rate
[MER GDP] substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world.”
Thus, in its view, PPP “provides the best available starting point for comparisons of economic strength
and wellbeing between economies.” The IMF adds further that “market rates are more volatile and using
them can produce quite large swings in aggregate measures of growth even when growth rates in
individual countries are stable.”

In sum, while the yardstick most Americans are accustomed to still shows that the Chinese economy is
one-third smaller than the U.S., when one recognizes the fact that $1 buys nearly twice as much in China
than in the U.S., the Chinese economy today is one-sixth larger than the U.S. economy.

So what? If this were simply a contest for bragging rights, picking a measuring rod that allows
Americans to feel better about ourselves has a certain logic. But in the real world, a nation’s GDP is the
substructure of its global power. Over the past generation, as China has created the largest economy in
the world, it has displaced the U.S. as the largest trading partner of nearly every major nation (just last
year adding Germany to that list). It has become the manufacturing workshop of the world, including for
face masks and other protective equipment as we are now seeing in the coronavirus crisis. Thanks to
double-digit growth in its defense budget, its military forces have steadily shifted the seesaw of power in
potential regional conflicts, in particular over Taiwan. And this year, China will surpass the U.S. in R&D
spending, leading the U.S. to a “tipping point in R&D” and future competitiveness.

For the U.S. to meet the China challenge, Americans must wake up to the ugly fact: China has already
passed us in the race to be the No. 1 economy in the world. Moreover, in 2020, China will be the only
major economy that records positive growth: the only economy that will be bigger at the end of the year
than it was when the year began. The consequences for American security are not difficult to predict.
Diverging economic growth will embolden an ever more assertive geopolitical player on the world stage.

Graham T. Allison is the Douglas Dillon Professor of Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is
the former director of Harvard’s Belfer Center and the author of Destined for War: Can America and
China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?

Text 55. Biden's Foreign Policy Is Sinking the Congressional Dems—and Ukraine (*third-year
students only)

The proxy war between the U.S. and Russia is devastating Ukraine, ironically in the name of saving
Ukraine.

Jeffrey D. Sachs | October 30, 2022 | Common Dreams

President Joe Biden is undermining his party’s Congressional prospects through a deeply flawed foreign
policy. Biden believes that America’s global reputation is at stake in the Ukraine War and has consistently
rejected a diplomatic off-ramp. The Ukraine War, combined with the administration’s disruptions of
economic relations with China, is aggravating the stagflation that will likely deliver one or both houses of
Congress to the Republicans. Far worse, Biden’s dismissal of diplomacy prolongs the destruction of Ukraine
and threatens nuclear war.

Biden inherited an economy beset by deep disruptions to global supply chains caused by the pandemic and
by Trump’s erratic trade policies. Yet instead of trying to calm the waters and repair the disruptions, Biden
escalated the U.S. conflicts with both Russia and China.

Biden attacked Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for expressing doubts on another large
financial package Ukraine, declaring: “They [House Republicans] said that if they win, they’re not likely to
fund—to help—continue to fund Ukraine, the Ukrainian war against the Russians. These guys don’t get it.
It’s a lot bigger than Ukraine—it’s Eastern Europe. It’s NATO. It’s real, serious, serious consequential
outcomes. They have no sense of American foreign policy.” Similarly, when a group of progressive
congressional Democrats urged negotiations to end the Ukraine War, they were excoriated by Democrats
following the White House line and forced to recant their call for diplomacy.

Biden believes that American credibility depends on NATO expanding to Ukraine, and if necessary,
defeating Russia in the Ukraine war to accomplish that. Biden has repeatedly refused to engage in
diplomacy with Russia on the NATO enlargement issue. This has been a grave mistake. It stoked a proxy
war between the U.S. and Russia in which Ukraine is being devastated, ironically in the name of saving
Ukraine.

The whole issue of NATO enlargement is based on a U.S. lie dating back to the 1990s. The U.S. and
Germany promised Gorbachev that NATO would move “not one inch eastward” if Gorbachev would
disband the Soviet Warsaw Pact military alliance and accept German reunification. Conveniently—and with
typical cynicism—the U.S. reneged on the deal.

In 2021, Biden could have headed off the Ukraine War without sacrificing any single vital interest of the
U.S. or Ukraine. U.S. security absolutely does not depend on NATO enlarging to Ukraine and Georgia. In
fact, NATO enlargement deeper into the Black Sea region undermines US security by putting the U.S. into a
direct confrontation with Russia (and a further violation of the promises made three decades earlier). Nor
does Ukraine’s security depend on NATO enlargement, a point that President Volodymyr Zelensky
acknowledged on numerous occasions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the U.S. repeatedly since 2008 to keep NATO out of Ukraine,
a region of vital security interests for Russia. Biden has equally resolutely insisted on NATO enlargement.
Putin made one last diplomatic try at the end of 2021 to stop NATO enlargement. Biden completely rebuffed
him. This was dangerous foreign policy.

As much as many American politicians don’t want to hear it, Putin’s warning about NATO enlargement was
both real and apt. Russia doesn’t want a heavily armed NATO military on its border, just as the U.S. would
not accept a Chinese-backed heavily armed Mexican military on the U.S.-Mexico border. The last thing the
U.S. and Europe need is a long war with Russia. Yet that’s just where Biden's insistence on NATO
enlargement to Ukraine has brought us.

The U.S. and Ukraine should accept three absolutely reasonable terms to end the war: Ukraine’s military
neutrality; Russia’s de facto hold on Crimea, home to its Black Sea naval fleet since 1783; and a negotiated
autonomy for the ethnic-Russian regions, as was called for in the Minsk Agreements but which Ukraine
failed to implement.

Instead of this kind of sensible outcome, the Biden Administration has repeatedly told Ukraine to fight on. It
poured cold water on the negotiations in March, when Ukrainians were contemplating a negotiated end to
the war but instead walked away from the negotiating table. Ukraine is suffering grievously as a result, with
its cities and infrastructure reduced to rubble, and tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers dying in the
ensuing battles. For all of NATO’s vaunted weaponry, Russia has recently destroyed up to half of Ukraine’s
energy infrastructure.

In the meantime, the U.S.-led trade and financial sanctions against Russia have boomeranged. With the
cutoff of Russian energy flows, Europe is in a deep economic crisis, with adverse spillovers to the U.S.
economy. The destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline further deepened Europe’s crisis. According to
Russia, this was done by UK operatives, but almost certainly with U.S. participation. Let us recall that in
February, Biden said that if Russia invades Ukraine, “We will bring an end to it [Nord Stream].” “I promise
you,” said Biden, “we will be able to do it.”

Biden’s flawed foreign policy has also brought about what generations of foreign policy strategists from
Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski warned against: driving Russia and China into a firm embrace. He
has done that by dramatically escalating the cold war with China at precisely the same time as he is pursuing
the hot war with Russia.

From the start of his Presidency, Biden starkly curtailed diplomatic contacts with China, stirred up new
controversies regarding America’s long-standing One China policy, repeatedly called for greater arms sales
to Taiwan, and implemented a global export ban on high-tech to China. Both parties have rallied to this
destabilizing anti-China policy, but the cost is further destabilization of the world, and also the U.S.
economy.

In sum, Biden inherited a difficult economic hand—the pandemic, excess Fed liquidity created in 2020,
large budget deficits in 2020, and pre-existing global tensions. Yet he has greatly exacerbated the economic
and geopolitical crises rather than solved them. We need a change of foreign policy. After the elections, there
will be an important time for reassessment. Americans and the world need economic recovery, diplomacy,
and peace.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/10/30/bidens-foreign-policy-sinking-congressional-dems-
and-ukraine
Text 56. The Great Game in Ukraine is Spinning Out of Control (*fourth-year students only)

By Jeffrey D. Sachs*
Former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski famously described Ukraine as a “geopolitical
pivot” of Eurasia, central to both US and Russian power. Since Russia views its vital security interests to be
at stake in the current conflict, the war in Ukraine is rapidly escalating to a nuclear showdown. It’s urgent
for both the US and Russia to exercise restraint before disaster hits.
Since the middle of the 19th Century, the West has competed with Russia over Crimea and more specifically,
naval power in the Black Sea. In the Crimean War (1853-6), Britain and France captured Sevastopol and
temporarily banished Russia’s navy from the Black Sea. The current conflict is, in essence, the Second
Crimean War. This time, a US-led military alliance seeks to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia, so that
five NATO members would encircle the Black Sea.
The US has long regarded any encroachment by great powers in the Western Hemisphere as a direct threat to
US security, dating back to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which states: “We owe it, therefore, to candor and
to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those [European] powers to declare that we
should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as
dangerous to our peace and safety.”
In 1961, the US invaded Cuba when Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro looked to the Soviet Union for
support. The US was not much interested in Cuba’s “right” to align with whichever country it wanted – the
claim the US asserts regarding Ukraine’s supposed right to join NATO. The failed US invasion in 1961 led
to the Soviet Union’s decision to place offensive nuclear weapons in Cuba in 1962, which in turn led to the
Cuban Missile Crisis exactly 60 years ago this month. That crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear
war.
Yet America’s regard for its own security interests in the Americas has not stopped it from encroaching on
Russia’s core security interests in Russia’s neighborhood. As the Soviet Union weakened, US policy leaders
came to believe that the US military could operate as it pleases. In 1991, Undersecretary of Defense Paul
Wolfowitz explained to General Wesley Clark that the US can deploy its military force in the Middle East
“and the Soviet Union won’t stop us.” America’s national security officials decided to overthrow Middle
East regimes allied to the Soviet Union, and to encroach on Russia’s security interests.
In 1990, Germany and the US gave assurances to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that the Soviet Union
could disband its own military alliance, the Warsaw Pact, without fear that NATO would enlarge eastward to
replace the Soviet Union. It won Gorbachev’s assent to German reunification in 1990 on this basis. Yet with
the Soviet Union’s demise, President Bill Clinton reneged by supporting the eastward expansion of NATO.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin protested vociferously but could do nothing to stop it. America’s dean of
statecraft with Russia, George Kennan, declared that NATO expansion “is the beginning of a new cold war.”
Under Clinton’s watch, NATO expanded to Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in 1999. Five years
later, under President George W. Bush, Jr. NATO expanded to seven more countries: the Baltic states
(Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), the Black Sea (Bulgaria and Romania), the Balkans (Slovenia), and
Slovakia. Under President Barack Obama, NATO expanded to Albania and Croatia in 2009, and under
President Donald Trump, to Montenegro in 2019.
Russia’s opposition to NATO enlargement intensified sharply in 1999 when NATO countries disregarded the
UN and attacked Russia’s ally Serbia, and stiffened further in the 2000’s with the US wars of choice in Iraq,
Syria, and Libya. At the Munich Security conference in 2007, President Putin declared that NATO
enlargement represents a “serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust.”
Putin continued: “And we have the right to ask: against whom is this expansion intended? And what
happened to the assurances [of no NATO enlargement] our western partners made after the dissolution of the
Warsaw Pact?” Where are those declarations today? No one even remembers them. But I will allow myself
to remind this audience what was said. I would like to quote the speech of NATO General Secretary Mr.
Woerner in Brussels on 17 May 1990. He said at the time that: “the fact that we are ready not to place a
NATO army outside of German territory gives the Soviet Union a firm security guarantee. Where are these
guarantees?”
Also in 2007, with the NATO admission of two Black Sea countries, Bulgaria and Romania, the US
established the Black Sea Area Task Group (originally the Task Force East). Then in 2008, the US raised the
US-Russia tensions still further by declaring that NATO would expand to the very heart of the Black Sea, by
incorporating Ukraine and Georgia, threatening Russia’s naval access to the Black Sea, Mediterranean, and
Middle East. With Ukraine’s and Georgia’s entry, Russia would be surrounded by five NATO countries in
the Black Sea: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Russia was initially protected from NATO enlargement to Ukraine by Ukraine’s pro-Russian president
Viktor Yanukovych, who led the Ukrainian parliament to declare Ukraine’s neutrality in 2010. Yet in 2014,
the US helped to overthrow Yanukovych and bring to power a staunchly anti-Russian government. The
Ukraine War broke out at that point, with Russia quickly reclaiming Crimea and supporting pro-Russian
separatists in the Donbas, the region of Eastern Ukraine with a relatively high proportion of Russian
population. Ukraine’s parliament formally abandoned neutrality later in 2014.
Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas have been fighting a brutal war for 8 years. Attempts
to end the war in the Donbas through the Minsk Agreements failed when Ukraine’s leaders decided not to
honor the agreements, which called for autonomy for the Donbas. After 2014, the US poured in massive
armaments to Ukraine and helped to restructure Ukraine’s military to be interoperable with NATO, as
evidenced in this year’s fighting.
The Russian invasion in 2022 would likely have been averted had Biden agreed with Putin’s demand at the
end of 2021 to end NATO’s eastward enlargement. The war would likely have been ended in March 2022,
when the governments of Ukraine and Russia exchanged a draft peace agreement based on Ukrainian
neutrality. Behind the scenes, the US and UK pushed Zelensky to reject any agreement with Putin and to
fight on. At that point, Ukraine walked away from the negotiations.
Russia will escalate as necessary, possibly to nuclear weapons, to avoid military defeat and NATO’s further
eastward enlargement. The nuclear threat is not empty, but a measure of the Russian leadership’s perception
of its security interests at stake. Terrifyingly, the US was also prepared to use nuclear weapons in the
Cuban Missile Crisis, and a senior Ukrainian official recently urged the US to launch nuclear strikes “as
soon as Russia even thinks of carrying out nuclear strikes,” surely a recipe for World War III. We are again
on the brink of nuclear catastrophe.
President John F. Kennedy learned about nuclear confrontation during the Cuban missile crisis. He defused
that crisis not by force of will or US military might, but by diplomacy and compromise, removing US
nuclear missiles in Turkey in exchange for the Soviet Union removing its nuclear missiles in Cuba. The
following year, he pursued peace with the Soviet Union, signing the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
In June 1963, Kennedy uttered the essential truth that can keep us alive today: “Above all, while defending
our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice
of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be
evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy–or of a collective death-wish for the world.”
It is urgent to return to the draft peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine of late March, based on the
non-enlargement of NATO. Today’s fraught situation can easily spin out of control, as the world has done
on so many past occasions – yet this time with the possibility of nuclear catastrophe. The world’s very
survival depends on prudence, diplomacy, and compromise by all sides. September 26, 2022
………………………..
*Professor at Columbia University, is Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia
University and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has served as adviser
to three UN Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary-General
António Guterres. Article sent to Other News by the author.
—————
https://www.jeffsachs.org/newspaper-articles/d2hlnp24c7hyewetypd6rjgfesszm4

Text 57. War and Regrets in Ukraine (The American Conservative, *third-year students
only)
Washington may regret its role in the war in Ukraine.

Douglas Macgregor
Oct 19, 202212:01 AM

Of the Vietnam War, Henry Kissinger, former national security advisor and secretary of State under
Presidents Nixon and Ford, said, “We should never have been there.” Before long, Americans, even the
politicians inside the Beltway, will reach the same conclusion about Washington’s Ukrainian proxy war
against Russia.
No one in the White House, the Senate, or the House consciously set out to turn the proxy Ukrainian war
with Moscow into a contest of “competitive societal collapse” between Russia and NATO. But here we are.
No one imagined that the Biden administration and the bipartisan war party would drive Americans and
Europeans into a political, military, and economic valley of death, from which there is no easy escape. Yet
that is precisely what is happening.
For the moment, Washington remains blind to these developments. Whether in print, radio, television, or
online, the narrative is clear: despite horrific losses—at least 400,000 Ukrainian battlefield casualties
including 100,000 soldiers killed in action—Ukrainian forces are winning. Moreover, the narrative says,
America’s financial and economic dominance will ultimately overwhelm the deceptively weak Russian
economy.
The Ukrainian-victory narrative admittedly benefits hugely from Western media that actively “tune out”
opposing views and depict Russia and its armed forces in the worst possible light. The fact that nearly half a
century of the Cold War conditioned Americans to think the worst of Russians certainly helps.
Yet there is also a measure of “true faith” at work, a condition of national narcissism, inside the Beltway that
believes Washington can control what happens thousands of miles away in Eastern Ukraine. The message
resonates in Congress because it rests on a critical strategic assumption that American citizens have yet to
challenge: that American national power is limitless and unconstrained—as though a series of strategic
failures, from Vietnam to Afghanistan, never happened.
Given that American politicians are always more preoccupied by domestic affairs than foreign policy,
members of Congress are quick to adopt the “true faith.” This faith explains why for the last eight years
members thought a future war with Russia was a low-risk affair. Ukrainians would provide the cannon
fodder and Washington would provide the expensive weaponry and munitions.
Predictably, Washington’s governing strategic principles are unchanged from previous U.S. interventions
around the world. Muddle through: masses of soldiers—in this case Ukrainians advised by U.S. and allied
officers—and huge infusions of cash, equipment, and technology can and will permanently alter strategic
reality in America’s favor.
The stupefying air of self-righteousness the Biden administration assumes when it attacks erstwhile strategic
partners such as Saudi Arabia or delivers moralizing lectures to Beijing’s leadership, or when its media
surrogates express contempt for the Russian state, is downright dangerous. Political figures in Washington
are ready to indulge any transgression if it is committed in the name of destroying Russia. They do not view
U.S. foreign policy in the context of a larger strategy, nor do they comprehend Russia’s capacity to hurt the
United States, a bizarre judgment of Russia’s actual military and economic potential.
The result is a toxic climate of ideological hatred making it hard to imagine a contemporary U.S. secretary
of State ever signing an international agreement renouncing war as an instrument of U.S. national policy, as
Secretary of State Frank Kellogg did in 1928. But as one of Shakespeare’s characters in the Merchant of
Venice warned, “The truth will out.”
The ongoing buildup of 700,000 Russian forces with modern equipment in Western Russia, Eastern Ukraine
and Belorussia is a direct consequence of Moscow’s decision to adopt an elastic, strategic defense of the
territories it seized in the opening months of the war. It was a wise, though politically unpopular choice in
Russia. Yet, the strategy has succeeded. Ukrainian losses have been catastrophic and by November, Russian
Forces will be in a position to strike a knockout blow.
Today, there are rumors in the media that Kiev may be under pressure to launch more counterattacks against
Russian defenses in Kherson (Southern Ukraine) before the midterm elections in November. At this point,
expending what little remains of Ukraine’s life blood to expel Russian forces from Ukraine is hardly
synonymous with the preservation of the Ukrainian state. It’s also doubtful that further sacrifices by
Ukrainians will assist the Biden administration in the midterm elections.
The truth is Moscow’s redline concerning Ukrainian entry into NATO was always real. Eastern Ukraine and
Crimea were always predominantly Russian in language, culture, history, and political orientation. Europe’s
descent into economic oblivion this winter is also real, as is support for Russia’s cause in China and India
and Moscow's rising military strength.
In retrospect, it is easy to see how Congress was beguiled by the denizens of think tanks, lobbyists, and
retired generals, who are, with few exceptions, people with a cocktail level of familiarity with high-end
conventional warfare. Members of the House and Senate were urged to support dubious strategies for the use
of American military assistance, including reckless scenarios for limited nuclear war with Russia or China.
For some reason, U.S. politicians have lost sight of the reality that any use of nuclear weapons would
overwhelm the ends of all national policy.
It is not the first time that American political leaders misjudged the true nature of a situation. In 1969,
Kissinger advised President Nixon against de-escalation on the grounds that keeping U.S. troops fighting in
Vietnam remained one of Washington’s few bargaining weapons in its negotiations with Hanoi. Kissinger
was wrong. Washington gained nothing at the negotiating table with Hanoi by sacrificing more Americans in
Vietnam after January 1969.
In view of Ukraine’s bleak prospects of ever regaining lost territory and its deteriorating strategic health,
Ukraine’s future now rests in Russian hands. For Washington, there is a morally responsible and practical
answer: Kiev should stop the bloodletting and make the best possible peace with Moscow it can.
Unfortunately, for Washington this solution is unthinkable.
As long as Washington delivers cash, military assistance, and equipment to Ukraine, Kiev will fight its
unwinnable war, and Washington’s ruling political class will profit from the transfer of cash to the Pentagon
and the U.S. Defense Industrial Base. But Washington, its NATO allies, and Ukrainians will gain nothing of
strategic value, while Russia is likely to grow stronger. That is a development Washington will regret.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Douglas Macgregor
Douglas Macgregor, Col. (ret.) is a senior fellow with The American Conservative, the former advisor to the
Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration, a decorated combat veteran, and the author of five books.

Text 58. Миссия «Луна-25» провалилась. Зачем России лететь на спутник Земли и
почему никакие аварии не остановят лунную гонку? (Лента)

В воскресенье, 20 августа, «Роскосмос» объявил о крушении аппарата «Луна-25». Программа по его

запуску была первой лунной миссией современной России. На нее возлагали большие надежды.
Даже само название «Луна-25» отсылало к успешным программам Советского Союза. К слову,
межпланетная станция «Луна-2» когда-то первой достигла спутника Земли, открыв новую эру
космического противостояния СССР и США. Спустя десятилетия лунная гонка не прекратилась.
Сегодня изучением естественного спутника Земли активно занимается не только Россия, но Китай,
США и Индия. «Лента.ру» рассказывает о зарождении лунной программы СССР, которая
предшествовала запуску «Луны-25», и о том, что сегодня делает Россия для ее возрождения.

«Гонка началась. Вскоре мы услышим объявление об отправке человека на Луну. Но как скоро?
Будет ли это американец? Или это будет русский? Но зачем вообще человеку — не важно, русскому
или американцу — лететь на Луну? Есть ли цель у этого дорогого и крайне опасного проекта?» —
задавался вопросами физик Дэниэль Посин в августе 1959 года между пусками советских аппаратов
«Луна-1» и «Луна-2».

Советский Союз занял лидерство в космической гонке с пуском первого в мире искусственного
спутника Земли. Но на этом останавливаться было нельзя, поэтому практически
сразу Москва и Вашингтон начали работу над программами по изучению Луны при помощи
автоматических межпланетных станций — «Луна» (СССР) и «Пионер» (США), — которые
ознаменовали начало лунной гонки.
«Королев всегда мечтал о том, чтобы начать изучение Луны, и, конечно, это удивительно, что
меньше чем через два года после запуска первого спутника удалось осуществить первые пуски к
ней», — говорил один из участников советской лунной программы Михаил Маров.
Еще в 1954 году группа ученых по требованию Сергея Павловича Королева составила докладную
записку «Об искусственном спутнике Земли». В ней сформулировали общие условия для
достижения Луны: описана траектория полета, а также требования к ракете, которая должна была
состоять из трех ступеней и способная развить вторую космическую скорость
Программу по созданию первых автоматических лунных станций, которые обозначили как «Объекты
Е», одобрили 20 марта 1958 года.

Первые запуски

Первые аппараты серии Е-1 представляли собой сферический контейнер с аппаратурой для
измерения различных параметров, включая напряженность магнитного поля Земли и Луны,
интенсивность гамма-излучения и космического излучения. Для питания станции использовались
серебряно-ртутные батареи, а корпус аппаратов заполняли газообразным азотом. Контейнер
космического аппарата весил 187 килограммов.

Задачей первых аппаратов серии Е-1 стало прямое столкновение с поверхностью Луны. Для этой
цели в ОКБ-1 в 1950-е годы спроектировали и собрали семь изделий. Для их доставки к Луне на
основе межконтинентальной баллистической ракеты (МБР) Р-7 была создана ракета-носитель 8К72
«Восток-Л». Изделие отличалось от базовой МБР наличием третьей ступени (блок «Е») с двигателем
РД-0105, разработанным в Конструкторском бюро химавтоматики. Блок «Е» требовался для
достижения второй космической скорости.

Первая в СССР попытка запуска станции к Луне состоялась 23 сентября 1958 года с
космодрома Байконур. На 93-й секунде полета ракета разрушилась из-за возникновения
возрастающих продольных колебаний. В ходе следующего запуска в октябре ракета разрушилась на
104-й секунде полета из-за резонансных вибраций, а запущенная в декабре ракета со станцией E-1
№3 потеряла устойчивость и была подорвана.
Первым успехом стал запуск станции Е-1 №4, который произвели 2 января 1959 года. После
подтверждения выхода на траекторию полета она получила название «Луна-1». 4 января в 05:57 по
московскому времени АМС прошла на расстоянии около 6000 километров от поверхности Луны и
вышла на гелиоцентрическую орбиту.

Несмотря на это, запуск «Луны-1» был лишь частично успешным: из-за ошибки в циклограмме
полета она не достигла поверхности ночного светила. При выдаче команды с Земли на отсечку блока
«Е» не учли время прохождения сигнала от командного пункта до «Луны-1». Впрочем, это не
сказалось на выполнении бортовых экспериментов. В состав оборудования станции входил
магнитометр, счетчик Гейгера, сцинтилляционный счетчик, детектор микрометеоритов, два
радиопередатчика и блок приемников для радиоконтроля траектории движения.

В ходе полета «Луны-1» получили данные об интенсивности и составе космических лучей,

метеорных частицах, корпускулярном излучении Солнца. Также АМС позволила установить, что у
Луны нет сильного магнитного поля.

Радиосвязь с «Луной-1» поддерживали в течение 62 часов — 5 января бортовые аккумуляторы

станции разрядились. Последние сигналы с советской АМС приняли с расстояния 597 тысяч
километров.

Она вошла в историю как первый в мире космический аппарат, который достиг второй космической
скорости, преодолел притяжение Земли и стал искусственным спутником Солнца.
Падение на Луну и новый этап

На основе опыта запуска «Луны-1» станцию модернизировали — усовершенствованная Е-1А, в

частности, получила более чувствительный магнитометр. После двух неудачных запусков АМС 12
сентября 1959 года все же удалось успешно запустить Е-1А №7, после чего она получила имя «Луна-
2».

13 сентября в 21:22 приборный контейнер АМС упал на поверхность спутника Земли в районе
Болота Гниения в западной части Моря Дождей, впервые в мире достигнув поверхности Луны.

АМС врезалась в Луну со скоростью 3,3 километра в секунду — считается, что падение образовало
кратер диаметром от 15 до 130 метров. Попадание в Луну подтверждалось наблюдением с
обсерваторий, которые сфотографировали пылевое облако над местом падения. В честь события
часть Моря Дождей переименовали в Залив Лунника.

14 сентября 1959 года советский аппарат «Луна-2» впервые в мире достиг поверхности
естественного спутника Земли

«Луна-2» и блок «Е», который тоже упал на поверхность спутника Земли, доставили пятиугольные
вымпелы с изображением герба СССР и надписью «сентябрь 1959 год». Помимо данных об
отсутствии собственного магнитного поля и радиационного пояса Луны, первые советские миссии на
естественный спутник позволили обнаружить солнечный ветер и выполнить его прямое измерение.

С Земли доступно для наблюдений лишь 60 процентов поверхности Луны, поэтому задачей
следующего этапа лунной программы стало фотографирование обратной стороны естественного
спутника. Для этого Ленинградскому НИИ-380 (будущий Всесоюзный научно-исследовательский
институт телевидения) заказали разработку аппаратуры для передачи на Землю снимков лунной
поверхности.

Осенью 1958 года специалисты НИИ-380 завершили разработку фототелевизионного устройства

«Енисей». В начале следующего года появилось предложение провести два облета Луны с
фотографированием ее обратной стороны.

Первый пуск запланировали на 4-6 октября 1959 года, а второй — на 15-17 апреля 1960 года.

Станция Е-2А, которую готовили к осеннему запуску, получила устройство «Енисей-1» с

оснащенным двумя объективами фотоаппаратом АФА-Е1. Запуск ракеты «Восток-Л» с аппаратом Е-
2А состоялся 4 октября 1959 года — после успешного выхода на высокоэллиптическую орбиту
станции присвоили название «Луна-3». В полете она впервые в мире осуществила гравитационный
маневр
на практике.
7 октября в 03:30 станция начала съемку обратной стороны Луны, сделав за 40 минут 29 фотографий.
Снимки демонстрировали около 70 процентов площади обратной стороны и часть видимой — для
точной привязки при картографировании. Передача фотографий на Землю велась в ежесуточных
сеансах связи, но 22 октября связь с АМС была потеряна, поэтому на Земле приняли лишь 17
снимков.
В рамках следующих запусков этого этапа планировали сделать фотографии боковой части Луны с
подлетной траектории при косых лучах Солнца, но два запуска в апреле 1960-го завершились
неудачно из-за аварий ракет.

Более качественные снимки обратной стороны Луны сделали с помощью запущенной в 1965 году
станции «Зонд-3». Эти миссии передали снимки, которые охватывали 95 процентов поверхности
Луны. На основе фотографий в СССР издали «Атлас обратной стороны Луны», который описывал
около четырех тысяч впервые обнаруженных лунных образований.
Мягкая посадка

Следующей вехой в изучении Луны стала отработка мягкой посадки на ее поверхность в рамках
программы «Е-6». Для этого этапа разработали АМС со спускаемым аппаратом массой около 100
килограммов. Сам аппарат представлял собой оснащенный амортизаторами герметичный приборный
отсек с аппаратурой.

Станцию выводила на орбиту ракета-носитель «Молния» с разгонным блоком «Л». После череды
неудачных и частично успешных стартов запущенная 31 января 1966 года станция Е-6М («Луна-9»)
выполнила поставленную задачу. 3 февраля впервые в истории АМС совершила мягкую посадку на
поверхность Луны и впервые передала на Землю ее телепанорамы. Советский аппарат был активен
на поверхности Луны на протяжении 75 часов.

В декабре того же года была запущена еще одна станция Е-6М («Луна-13»), развившая успех
программы. Станция передала на Землю три фотопанорамы лунной поверхности и впервые в
истории провела инструментальное исследование плотности и прочности поверхностного слоя
лунного грунта.

Также в рамках программы «Е-6» запустили аппараты «Луна-10», который провел исследования на
орбите Луны и стал ее первым искусственным спутником, и «Луна-14», использовавшийся для
отработки линий связи «Земля-борт» и «борт-Земля» с использованием перспективного
радиокомплекса ДРК. Этот аппарат стал последней лунной АМС второго поколения, запущенной
СССР.
На колесах по Луне

Одним из важнейших проектов космической программы СССР была программа лунных

пилотируемых полетов. Она включала работы по созданию самоходного аппарата, который в
телеуправляемом режиме мог бы исследовать район высадки космонавтов на Луну и выполнять роль
радиомаяка для управления прилунением пилотируемого корабля.

В 1963 году в СССР сформировали лунный отряд космонавтов, а первоначально главой группы
был Юрий Гагарин. Однако проблемы возникли со сверхтяжелой ракетой Н-1.
«Мы не могли пройти мимо этого, и у нас усилиями Конструкторского бюро Королева начала эта
программа активно развиваться. Но здесь оказались очень большие трудности, и главным образом
это были трудности с отработкой тяжелого носителя Н-1 — эквивалента американского "Сатурна-5",
с помощью которого были осуществлены экспедиции на Луну», — вспоминал Михаил Маров.

Все четыре испытательных пуска Н-1 с 1969 по 1972 год закончились неудачей, тогда как
американский «Сатурн-5» успешно стартовал в 1967-м. Поэтому советским космонавтам,
готовившимся к высадке на Луне, оставалось лишь смотреть на успехи американцев.

«И, конечно, мы смотрели запуск Бормана, и смотрели запуск "Апполона-11"»,

— вспоминает участник советского лунного отряда Алексей Леонов. — У нас был старт хорошо
виден, а потом — посадка на Луну, были включены телевизионные наружные камеры на посадочном
модуле. И сам этот первый шаг, который так осторожно Нил Армстронг сделал, как бы щупал».
Это, конечно, был настоящий восторг, и мы радовались, клянусь Богом, мы радовались, что вот,
человек там находится, действительно это было торжество разума
Алексей Леонов космонавт
Маров связывает неудачи в том числе с внезапной смертью Королева в январе 1966 года.

«Алексей Архипович Леонов был уже к этому готов, он был главным кандидатом на этот полет. Мы
с ним очень дружны, и Алексей до сих пор испытывает досаду и разочарование, что такого
заключительного аккорда в его такой насыщенной событиями карьере не получилось и уже не
получится. А ведь в его жизни был и первый выход в космос, и полет "Союз-Аполлон"», — говорил
Маров.

Сперва в 1972 году в СССР закрыли программу по высадке на Луне, а затем, в 1974-м, — и
программу создания Н-1. Поэтому основной задачей лунохода стала беспилотная исследовательская
работа на поверхности Луны.

Проект машины разработали в ОКБ-1 и передали для реализации на Машиностроительный завод

имени Лавочкина. Созданием машин руководил главный конструктор завода — Георгий Николаевич
Бабакин, а самоходное шасси разработали специалисты Всесоюзного научно-исследовательского
института транспортного машиностроения (ВНИИтрансмаш) под руководством Александра
Леоновича Кемурджиана. Конструкторскую документацию подготовили к 1967 году.

«Луноход-1» весом 756 килограммов получил торсионную подвеску и восемь ведущих колес,
изготовленных из металлической сетки с титановыми лопатками. Машину оснастили солнечной
батареей, которая выдавала до 1 киловатта электрической мощности. Электрическая трансмиссия
обеспечивала две скорости движения — 0,8 и 2 километра в час. Луноход мог разворачиваться на
месте и на ходу, преодолевать выступы высотой 35 сантиметров, трещины шириной до 1 метра и 20-
градусные подъемы.

Машина несла различное оборудование, включая две телекамеры, лазерный рефлектор и

рентгеновский телескоп. В задачи аппарата входил дистанционный сбор информации для изучения
радиоактивного и рентгеновского космического излучения, химического состава и физических
свойств лунного грунта, а также изучения особенностей лунной поверхности.

Пуск ракеты-носителя «Протон-К», которая несла АМС «Луна-17» с планетоходом «Луноход-1» на

борту, состоялся 10 ноября 1970 года, а 17 ноября станция мягко опустилась на поверхность ночного
светила и развернула трапы для съезда аппарата на грунт. Наземные экипажи (командир, водитель,
бортинженер, штурман и оператор наведения антенны) управляли «Луноходом-1» по радиоканалу, а
изображение с камер аппарата передавали в Центр управления полетами.
Ровер проработал до 30 сентября 1971 года, преодолев расстояние более 10 километров по лунной
поверхности. «Луноход-1» обследовал площадь в 80 тысяч квадратных метров, а также передал на
Землю 211 лунных панорам и 25 тысяч снимков. Аппарат стал первым в мире планетоходом,
который успешно работал на поверхности другого небесного тела.

Позже на базе «Луны-17» разработали автоматические станции «Луна-19» и «Луна-22»,

предназначенные для исследования ночного светила и межпланетного пространства с окололунной
орбиты. Эти миссии помогли реализовать последующие программы по забору лунного грунта.
Доставка грунта

После полета американского «Аполлона-8» с астронавтами вокруг Луны в СССР главной задачей
провозгласили доставку образцов лунного грунта на Землю. В рамках лунной гонки Советскому
Союзу требовалось очередное достижение, которое обеспечила новая миссия. 12 сентября 1970 года
к Луне отправилась ракета с разработанной проектной группой Научно-производственного
объединения (НПО) имени С.А. Лавочкина станцией «Луна-16». В состав автоматического
космического комплекса входила посадочная платформа, буровая установка и возвратная ракета со
спускаемым аппаратом.
Считать главной задачей в исследовании Луны автоматическими станциями в 1969 году доставку на
Землю образцов лунного грунта с помощью объектов Е8-5
постановление ЦК КПСС и Совета министров СССР № 19-10«О плане работ по исследованию
Луны, Венеры и Марса автоматическими станциями»
Через восемь дней комплекс выполнил мягкую посадку на лунную поверхность. Установка
пробурила поверхность естественного спутника Земли на глубину 35 сантиметров и поместила
образцы в герметичную капсулу. 24 сентября 101 грамм лунного грунта был доставлен на Землю.
Таким образом в рамках миссии «Луна-16» выполнили беспилотный полет по маршруту Земля —
Луна — Земля и впервые доставили на нашу планету внеземное вещество.

После первого успеха в рамках проекта предприняли еще несколько попыток запустить подобные
аппараты, доставившие еще 53 и 170 граммов грунта.

Последний полет

Последний запуск с целью доставки лунного грунта на Землю произвели 9 августа 1976 года с
космодрома Байконур. АМС «Луна-24» успешно совершила мягкую посадку на Луну в юго-
восточном районе Моря Кризисов, а 22 августа спускаемый аппарат с образцами совершил посадку в
200 километрах юго-восточнее Сургута. Доставленный на Землю грунт с глубины 160 сантиметров
завершил серию проб, взятых станциями «Луна-16» и «Луна-20».
В 2012 году профессор Колумбийского университета Арлин Кроттс писал, что полученные «Луной-
24» данные свидетельствовали о наличии воды на естественном спутнике, но их проигнорировало
мировое научное сообщество. Он ссылался на материал журнала «Геохимия», в котором
указывалось, что в доставленных образцах доля воды составляла 0,1 процента. Позже эти данные
подтвердились.
«Луна-24» стала последней советской АМС, отправленной к ночному светилу, и последней миссией
перед перерывом в исследовании Луны. Советские лунные аппараты внесли весомый вклад в
исследование спутника и подготовили базу, которую используют в покорении Луны и в наши дни.

Неудавшийся старт

Почти полвека спустя в России возродили лунную программу. Аппарат «Луна-25» разрабатывали с
начала XXI века, и он должен был стать началом нового проекта по изучению спутника Земли.
Планировалось, что аппарат совершит мягкую посадку, а затем будет исследовать лунный грунт и
экзосферу.

Аппарат был успешно запущен 11 августа с космодрома Восточный. Затем он успешно

скорректировал орбиту и приблизился к Луне. Во время полета «Луна-25» передала несколько
снимков поверхности спутника и получила параметры окололунной космической плазмы и
газопылевой экзосферы.

Спускаемый аппарат должен был прилуниться в районе кратера Богуславский вблизи южного
полюса Луны, вероятно, богатого залежами водяного льда, и провести там исследования свойств и
состава полярного грунта, измерение его механических характеристик.

Один из основных научных инструментов «Луны-25» — рука-манипулятор, при помощи которой

планировалось осуществить доставку образцов лунного грунта в прибор измерения химического,
элементного и изотопного состава реголита.

11
августа

запущен аппарат «Луна-25»

Однако 19 августа во время передачи импульса для перехода на предпосадочную орбиту произошла
нештатная ситуация. Из-за этого не удалось выполнить маневр, и около 14:57 связь с «Луной-25»
прервалась. В это же время в сети начали появляться сообщения о жесткой посадке станции и ее
потере.
Официально о потере «Луны-25» в «Роскосмосе» объявили 20 августа. В госкорпорации обещают
выяснить все обстоятельства и причины случившегося.
Материалы по теме:

Для современной истории России эта миссия имела большое значение. Ее успех означал бы, что
страна может отправлять космические аппараты в дальний космос. Да и само название «Луна-25»
отсылает к успешным программам Советского Союза. Что будет с дальнейшими планами по пускам
«Луны-26» и «Луны-27», которые изначально намечались на 2027 и 2028 годы, — неизвестно.

«Это все скажется, конечно, но как — пока неизвестно. Знаю только то, что написано. Мы
занимаемся научным комплексом, он работал. Аппаратом наш институт не управлял. Наш институт
отвечал за научную программу и научные приборы. Извините, не то настроение»,
— сказал руководитель лунной программы Лев Зеленый.
Кроме России, изучением естественного спутника Земли занимаются такие страны, как Китай, США
и Индия. Последняя через несколько дней предпримет свою вторую попытку опуститься на
поверхность Луны. В случае успеха Индия станет четвертой — после СССР, США и Китая —
страной в мире, которой удалось совершить мягкую посадку на поверхность Луны.

Text 59. Санкции не помогли: на Запад навалились засухи и рекордные урожаи в

России (РИА Новости) (for summarizing only)
Европейский рупор демократии, французская газета Le Figaro, которая исправно потчует своих
непритязательных читателей бойкими материалами о бесконечных "перемогах" Европы над Россией,
на днях вдруг вышла с похоронным заголовком: "Торговля зерном: доминирование России
продолжится".
Авторы статьи сквозь зубы признались, что, несмотря на весь оголтелый экономический и
политический прессинг, на мировом продовольственном рынке перед Россией открываются
"довольно светлые перспективы". Отдаем должное искусному жонглированию словами, потому что
на самом деле "довольно светлые перспективы" — это безоговорочное мировое доминирование
России по объемам производства и экспорта зерна с почти четвертью рынка по одной пшенице.
Описывая горести западного рынка, в числе которых серьезное снижение мирового производства,
поставок и запасов пшеницы из-за неурожаев в Канаде и Европе, любители французских булок
фактически высекли сами себя и заявили, что доминирование России даже "необходимо в условиях
глобальной неустойчивости спроса и предложения".
Переводим с французского на русский: уважаемые эуропейцы, приготовьтесь к галопирующим ценам
на круассаны; дорогие русские, пожалуйста, не перекрывайте кран с зерном и не обращайте
внимания на то, что мы шлем на Украину пачками танки, самолеты и боеприпасы, это ж другое.
Же не манж па сис жур у наших непартнеров случился не просто так: все ведущие профильные
мировые ведомства и агентства почти синхронно вышли с совершенно неутешительными для Запада
цифрами и выводами.
Минсельхоз США "обрадовал" рынок, сообщив, что урожаи пшеницы в Евросоюзе и Канаде падают
из-за засух.
Агентство Standard & Poor’s Global Market Intelligence опубликовало минорный доклад, согласного
которому в мировом экспорте пшеницы доля США к 2025 году упадет до 12 процентов, а экспорт
пшеницы и кукурузы с Украины на фоне конфликта сколлапсировал более чем в два ра.
Согласно крупнейшему агентству Agritel, мировые цены на зерновые и растительное масло будут
неизбежно расти из-за неблагоприятных климатических условий и падения урожаев в основных
странах-производителях.
Продовольственная и сельскохозяйственная организация ООН сообщила, что в этом сезоне экспорт
пшеницы из Бразилии упал на 44 процента, Индии — на 30, Австралии — на 12, а Аргентины — на
семь.
Добавим к мировым неурожаям и засухам антироссийские санкции и военные действия — и
санкционеры могут смело пожинать то, что они заслуживают: всего за месяц мировые цены на
пшеницу выросли на 2,3 процента, на кукурузу — на 3,7, а на рис — на 3,2.
Все без исключения эксперты утверждают, что этот восходящий ценовой тренд — надолго, а
ухудшение климата в ранее благополучных странах, снижение урожаев и передел зернового рынка —
навсегда.
Нам жаль североамериканцев и европейцев (на самом деле нет) и жителей Африки и арабских стран
(да), но вышли мы из зерновой сделки не из-за вредности, а из-за лжи и козней ее "гарантов",
поэтому совершенно не переживаем из-за прироста нашей доли за счет Украины и, так и быть,
готовы взять на себя бремя украинских поставок ее бывшим покупателям.
Бремя это не сильно тяжелое, потому что, в отличие от остального мира, Россия стабильно бьет
рекорды по производству зерна. В этом году в России урожай зерна ожидается на уровне 140
миллионов тонн (из которых не менее 90 миллионов тонн пшеницы), что является вторым по
значимости рекордом за всю современную историю. Отметим, что в эту цифру внесли вклад новые
территории, где даже на фоне боевых действий и близости фронта мы смогли собрать почти пять
миллионов тонн зерна.
Рекорды ставит и производство, и экспорт муки: в этом году Россия экспортировала более 800 тысяч
тонн, а произвела почти 9,5 миллиона тонн муки.
Вчера Минсельхоз России сообщил, что российские перерабатывающие предприятия на 100
процентов обеспечены зерном и продуктами его переработки, включая хлебопекарную муку. При
этом в министерстве уточнили, что качество зерна в этом году находится на высоком уровне —
порядка 75 процентов пшеницы относится к продовольственным классам, а цены на
продовольственную пшеницу сейчас ниже либо на уровне прошлогодних отметок.
На фоне катастрофических для Запада новостей с полей Bloomberg заявил, что "богатый урожай
после выхода из зерновой сделки дает Москве преимущество над Украиной и западными странами" и
что может (о ужас!) статься так, что "Вашингтон и Брюссель будут вынуждены делать Москве
уступки или выплачивать восточноевропейским странам огромные субсидии".
Но мы не будем бежать впереди паровоза и кричать о громких "перемогах" — оставим это киевскому
режиму и НАТО. Мы будем спокойно работать, строить и растить хлеб дальше. У кого булки толще
— покажут время, Цельсий и Фаренгейт, а они на нашей стороне.